It would have been extremely difficult to repeat the drama of the divisional round, and alas, there was no drama at all. The Houston Gamblers and Baltimore Stars flexed their muscles and will meet in World Bowl XV.
Gamblers 48 Panthers 18
This game was actually close in the first half and neither team scored at all the first 15 minutes of the game. Houston opened the scoring early 2nd qtr with a Daniel McCormack 44 yard FG. The first TD of the game came with 5:23 left in the half as Tony Dean found Chase Miles with a short pass to make the score 10-0 Gamblers. Michigan QB Alan Scales would throw an INT on the next drive and Houston would capitalize three plays later. Tony Dean found Ryan Dearing this time, and 18 yards later it was 17-0.
The Panthers crowd was stunned by this turn of events, but Michigan wasn't going to go down without a fight. Adam Scales hit Peter Lewis for a 22 yard TD and the ensuing 2 point conversion made the score 17-8. Houston lived up to their nickname as they gambled they could score before halftime rather than just go into the locker room with a 9 point lead. The gamble did not pay off as Tony Dean was intercepted by Robert Kimball. Michigan would kick a FG at the end of the half for a halftime score of 17-11 Houston.
The 3rd qtr was a different story however, as Adam Scales threw 2 more INTs and the offense punted 3 times. Houston scored a FG on their first drive of the second half, then scored 3 straight TDs for a 41-11 lead heading into the final quarter. The first TD was another Dean to Miles TD pass and Miles struck again for the second TD with an 8 yard run. Following Scales' second INT of the quarter, Ryan Dearing ran in the final TD of the quarter from 25 yards out.
Gabriel Ahrens was uncharacteristically silent most of the game but he did end up with 3-143-1 thanks to this 71 yard catch and run TD to cap the Houston scoring for the game. Ryan Dearing had a combined 197 yards and backup QB Clifford Saul even saw some action, but this pick six was not the kind of action he wanted.
Stars 31 VooDoo 3
Baltimore went to New Orleans and quickly took the crowd out of the game with TDs on their first 3 drives. New Orleans got the ball first and punted. Baltimore then went 77 yards in 12 plays which ended with this short TD pass from Jon Snow to Timothy Harmon. Following the ensuing VooDoo punt which left Baltimore pinned at their 10, Jon Snow led the Stars on an 11 play 90 yard drive. Justin Coffey caught this pass from Snow for a 14-0 Stars lead. Three and out for the VooDoo and their defense is right back on the field, surely gassed from the previous 2 long drives. The third Baltimore drive ended just like the first 2, with a Jon Snow TD pass. This one went to Brian Darden, giving Baltimore a 21-0 lead.
New Orleans went on a long drive of their own, but turned it over on downs at the Stars 22 yard line. That drive plus the halftime break gave the VooDoo defense some much needed rest. Baltimore got the ball to start the 3rd qtr, but the VooDoo defense had other ideas. This was just the break New Orleans needed if they were going to have another double digit comeback in the playoffs, but they could only manage a FG, so it was 21-3.
That was the score when the 4th qtr started, but one play later it was 28-3, thanks to the second Snow-Darden hookup. The VooDoo struggled with their offense the whole game and the early deficit was too much to overcome as Baltimore advances to their first ever World Bowl.
Monday, May 4, 2020
Sunday, May 3, 2020
1988 National Conference Divisional Round
The two National Conference Divisional games ended within one score just like the American Conference, but the way they played out was completely different. The American Conference had back and forth games while the National Conference featured double digit come from behind wins. The television ratings just came in and viewership was through the roof as the closely contested games held America's attention.
VooDoo 20 Renegades 17 (OT)
Orlando was enjoying their first playoff season since 1978 when they made it to the National Conference Championship game and a win in New Orleans would see the Renegades back in a conference championship. The VooDoo have been playoff regulars who are seeking their first conference championship game since 1982.
New Orleans got the ball first, and an excellent opening drive seemingly stalled with a 4th and goal at the 5. Most head coaches would opt for the easy 3 but Smirt decided for the aggressive approach. This time, the gamble did not work as James Perry's pass was knocked down by Orlando LB Chung Hill. Following an Orlando punt, New Orleans faced a 4th and 1 on their second drive, opting to punt from their 40 yard line rather than be extra aggressive. Given what happened next, perhaps they should have went for it as Orlando QB Elwood Savage found Ben Dehaven for an 86 yard catch and run TD for a 7-0 Renegades lead. Midway through the second quarter, Renegades rookie RB/WR Jose Rush punched it in from 2 yards out to extend the lead to 14-0.
New Orleans would finally dent the scoreboard late in the first half to cut the lead to 14-3. Orlando got that 3 back in the 3rd qtr and the score heading into the 4th quarter was 17-3 Renegades. New Orleans finally crossed the goal line early in the 4th qtr as James Perry found Socrates Rogers in the end zone, cutting the lead to 17-10. The Renegades next drive stalled at the VooDoo 38 and Orlando opted to punt since their kicker, Jacob Barger's long on the year is just 54 yards and he is 5/8 on 50+ FGs in 1988.
New Orleans was well on their way toward the tying TD, having the ball 1st and 10 from the Orlando 11 with just over 2 and a half minutes to go in regulation. James Perry tried to force the ball to James Sheckler despite double coverage and Renegades CB John Greenway intercepted. The VooDoo defense had Perry's back though, forcing a three and out to give the ball back to the offense. Four plays later, Perry found WR Leonard Robles who broke a tackle before sprinting into the end zone with the game tying TD.
There were still 0:55 left, plenty of time for Orlando to maneuver into FG range but for some reason they decided to run the ball on first and second down, wasting precious seconds. The regulation clock ran out with Orlando in VooDoo territory, 10-15 yards too far for a FG try.
So on to OT we go and we'll fast forward over 2 punts from each offense. New Orleans CB Dennis Camp picked off Elwood Savage in Orlando territory, and the return had the ball at the Renegades 24. One running play later, New Orleans K Jordan Fuller booted the game winner from 37 yards out, sending the VooDoo to the conference championship game.
Baltimore Stars 29 New York Stars 24
These two teams share the same name and the box score for each team from this game look like mirror images of each other. Forgive me for over using their city names in this recap, but I can't very well just say Stars. New York got the ball first and wasted little time scoring, with Willie Bust hitting Joseph Clark in stride for a 59 yard TD four plays in. Following a Baltimore punt, New York took 5 plays to pad the lead to 14-0 as Ernest Lynch imitated his cousin Marshawn with a 56 yard TD run. New York forced Baltimore to go three and out then struck again 6 plays later. Willie Bust threw a 33 yard TD pass to Tomas Abbott and New York had a 21-0 lead with about 2:30 left in the 1st qtr.
At this point of the game, Baltimore needed a nice long drive to give their defense a break but WR Brian Darden had other ideas. Jon Snow found him for a 75 yard TD on the first play of the drive to cut it to 21-7.
New York got the ball right back and embarked on a 13 play 72 yard drive. They got as close as the Baltimore 3 yard line, but could not get a TD, settling for a short FG and a 24-7 lead. This turned out to be a huge stop for Baltimore as they began to slowly take momentum back from New York. A 10 play, 40 yard drive ended with a FG, then following a three and out by New York, Snow and Darden hooked up again to make the halftime score 24-17 New York.
The 3rd qtr was scoreless and Baltimore kicked 2 FGs early in the 4th, but New York was still clinging to a 1 point lead. Baltimore had been doing a great job of slowing down the New York offense after their first quarter onslaught and that continued throughout the final quarter. Just inside the 2 minute warning, New York punted and left Baltimore at their own 34. The New York fans were in full throat as the Baltimore offense took the field but Jon Snow quieted them rather quickly. Jeffrey Gentry took the pass and raced 66 yards for the go ahead score, but the 2 point try failed, making the score 29-24 Baltimore. New York had plenty of time for a drive, but they turned it over on downs at the Baltimore 43 and one Jon Snow kneel down sealed victory.
VooDoo 20 Renegades 17 (OT)
Orlando was enjoying their first playoff season since 1978 when they made it to the National Conference Championship game and a win in New Orleans would see the Renegades back in a conference championship. The VooDoo have been playoff regulars who are seeking their first conference championship game since 1982.
New Orleans got the ball first, and an excellent opening drive seemingly stalled with a 4th and goal at the 5. Most head coaches would opt for the easy 3 but Smirt decided for the aggressive approach. This time, the gamble did not work as James Perry's pass was knocked down by Orlando LB Chung Hill. Following an Orlando punt, New Orleans faced a 4th and 1 on their second drive, opting to punt from their 40 yard line rather than be extra aggressive. Given what happened next, perhaps they should have went for it as Orlando QB Elwood Savage found Ben Dehaven for an 86 yard catch and run TD for a 7-0 Renegades lead. Midway through the second quarter, Renegades rookie RB/WR Jose Rush punched it in from 2 yards out to extend the lead to 14-0.
New Orleans would finally dent the scoreboard late in the first half to cut the lead to 14-3. Orlando got that 3 back in the 3rd qtr and the score heading into the 4th quarter was 17-3 Renegades. New Orleans finally crossed the goal line early in the 4th qtr as James Perry found Socrates Rogers in the end zone, cutting the lead to 17-10. The Renegades next drive stalled at the VooDoo 38 and Orlando opted to punt since their kicker, Jacob Barger's long on the year is just 54 yards and he is 5/8 on 50+ FGs in 1988.
New Orleans was well on their way toward the tying TD, having the ball 1st and 10 from the Orlando 11 with just over 2 and a half minutes to go in regulation. James Perry tried to force the ball to James Sheckler despite double coverage and Renegades CB John Greenway intercepted. The VooDoo defense had Perry's back though, forcing a three and out to give the ball back to the offense. Four plays later, Perry found WR Leonard Robles who broke a tackle before sprinting into the end zone with the game tying TD.
There were still 0:55 left, plenty of time for Orlando to maneuver into FG range but for some reason they decided to run the ball on first and second down, wasting precious seconds. The regulation clock ran out with Orlando in VooDoo territory, 10-15 yards too far for a FG try.
So on to OT we go and we'll fast forward over 2 punts from each offense. New Orleans CB Dennis Camp picked off Elwood Savage in Orlando territory, and the return had the ball at the Renegades 24. One running play later, New Orleans K Jordan Fuller booted the game winner from 37 yards out, sending the VooDoo to the conference championship game.
Baltimore Stars 29 New York Stars 24
These two teams share the same name and the box score for each team from this game look like mirror images of each other. Forgive me for over using their city names in this recap, but I can't very well just say Stars. New York got the ball first and wasted little time scoring, with Willie Bust hitting Joseph Clark in stride for a 59 yard TD four plays in. Following a Baltimore punt, New York took 5 plays to pad the lead to 14-0 as Ernest Lynch imitated his cousin Marshawn with a 56 yard TD run. New York forced Baltimore to go three and out then struck again 6 plays later. Willie Bust threw a 33 yard TD pass to Tomas Abbott and New York had a 21-0 lead with about 2:30 left in the 1st qtr.
At this point of the game, Baltimore needed a nice long drive to give their defense a break but WR Brian Darden had other ideas. Jon Snow found him for a 75 yard TD on the first play of the drive to cut it to 21-7.
New York got the ball right back and embarked on a 13 play 72 yard drive. They got as close as the Baltimore 3 yard line, but could not get a TD, settling for a short FG and a 24-7 lead. This turned out to be a huge stop for Baltimore as they began to slowly take momentum back from New York. A 10 play, 40 yard drive ended with a FG, then following a three and out by New York, Snow and Darden hooked up again to make the halftime score 24-17 New York.
The 3rd qtr was scoreless and Baltimore kicked 2 FGs early in the 4th, but New York was still clinging to a 1 point lead. Baltimore had been doing a great job of slowing down the New York offense after their first quarter onslaught and that continued throughout the final quarter. Just inside the 2 minute warning, New York punted and left Baltimore at their own 34. The New York fans were in full throat as the Baltimore offense took the field but Jon Snow quieted them rather quickly. Jeffrey Gentry took the pass and raced 66 yards for the go ahead score, but the 2 point try failed, making the score 29-24 Baltimore. New York had plenty of time for a drive, but they turned it over on downs at the Baltimore 43 and one Jon Snow kneel down sealed victory.
Saturday, May 2, 2020
1988 American Conference Divisional Round
Wildcard week was mostly boring blowout games but the Divisional Round more than made up for that. All four games were within one score, one went to OT and we had 2 big comebacks. I was going to do all 4 games in 1 blog, but so much happened that I'm splitting it into 2 parts.
Panthers 3 Showboats 0
The Memphis Showboats traveled to Pontiac, MI to take on the Panthers in their quest for a threepeat. If you had told anyone before the game that Memphis would hold Michigan to just 3 points, 99% or more would guess the Showboats won. The Panthers have been a thorn in the side of the Showboats the last 2 years, stopping their 24 game win streak in 1987 and tying them this season. In this game, Memphis suffered their first shutout since the Los Angeles Express did it to them November 29, 1981.
It's not like Memphis didn't have chances to score, as they had the 2 longest drives of the game. The longest went 60 yards in 11 plays covering the end of the 1st/beginning of the 2nd qtrs. That drive ended badly, as James Ewing was wide right on a 38 yard FG attempt.
The first half was scoreless as every drive but 2 ended with a punt. One of those was the missed FG discussed above, the other one ended with the clock running out on the half. The second half was slightly different, with 4 non punting drives. The first such drive was late 3rd qtr when David Allen was intercepted. Michigan could not capitalize though, punting and pinning Memphis at their 9. Three plays later David Allen was intercepted again, this time by Bryan Odom. That gave Michigan the ball in the red zone and they almost punched it in, setting up a 4th and goal from the 1. In a scoreless game, the Panthers opted for the chip shot FG to take a 3-0 lead.
Memphis had one last shot, but they were pinned at their own 4 after another fine punt by Julius Horowitz, who nailed 7 of 10 inside the 20. The Showboats had 1:49 and 2 time outs to try to get 60 yards or so to tie the game or 96 to win. Memphis converted twice on 4th down, once on a completed pass despite pass interference, then another pass interference penalty kept the drive alive. A couple plays later, Donut Mogul Tim Horton caught a pass and fumbled, but the ball went harmlessly out of bounds.
All of the fans in the Silverdome were holding their collective breaths as the Showboats were getting all the breaks and it was looking like we could possibly be headed for OT. David Allen took a sack on the next play and the clock would hit 0:00 shortly after, preserving victory for Michigan.
Gamblers 27 Gold 20
This was a back and forth game on the scoreboard though Denver literally threw the game away. The Gold had little trouble moving the ball on the Gamblers defense as Richard Funkhouser ran for 108 yards and had 109 receiving. Andrew Brewer was 33/55, 373 yards and 2 TDs. While the Houston defense bent, the only breaking they did was breaking the spirit of the Denver offense. Despite all of the offensive yards, Brewer was sacked 5 times and intercepted 4. Denver ran the ball 20 times for 140 yards and had a 27-10 first down advantage.
It's not like Houston did nothing though. Tony Dean was an efficient 24/33, 283 yards and 3 TD. Zero was the most important number for Houston and Dean, as in zero INT and zero turnovers. Denver scored first to take a 7-0 lead, then Houston scored 10 straight to take the lead back. Denver tied it at 10 before halftime, and tied it again at 17 in the 3rd. Denver got their 2 TDs from Richard Huff, and Richard Funkhouser. Houston's 2 TD up to this point came from Chase Miles, and Gabriel Ahrens.
That TD pass from Dean to Ahrens came on the first play after a Brewer INT. Midway through the 4th qtr, Brewer suffered a case of deja vu, watching a Gabriel Ahrens TD on the first play following an INT. That made the score 27-17 Houston, though Denver would pull within 27-20 with 4:05 to go. Houston went 3 and out, punting Denver at their own 12 with just over 3 minutes left.
Needing a TD to tie, the Gold advanced all the way to Houston's 5 yard line before Charles Wallace sacked Brewer with 0:40 left, allowing Denver time for just 1 more play. That 4 yard gain was not enough and the time ran out on Denver's season.
Panthers 3 Showboats 0
The Memphis Showboats traveled to Pontiac, MI to take on the Panthers in their quest for a threepeat. If you had told anyone before the game that Memphis would hold Michigan to just 3 points, 99% or more would guess the Showboats won. The Panthers have been a thorn in the side of the Showboats the last 2 years, stopping their 24 game win streak in 1987 and tying them this season. In this game, Memphis suffered their first shutout since the Los Angeles Express did it to them November 29, 1981.
It's not like Memphis didn't have chances to score, as they had the 2 longest drives of the game. The longest went 60 yards in 11 plays covering the end of the 1st/beginning of the 2nd qtrs. That drive ended badly, as James Ewing was wide right on a 38 yard FG attempt.
The first half was scoreless as every drive but 2 ended with a punt. One of those was the missed FG discussed above, the other one ended with the clock running out on the half. The second half was slightly different, with 4 non punting drives. The first such drive was late 3rd qtr when David Allen was intercepted. Michigan could not capitalize though, punting and pinning Memphis at their 9. Three plays later David Allen was intercepted again, this time by Bryan Odom. That gave Michigan the ball in the red zone and they almost punched it in, setting up a 4th and goal from the 1. In a scoreless game, the Panthers opted for the chip shot FG to take a 3-0 lead.
Memphis had one last shot, but they were pinned at their own 4 after another fine punt by Julius Horowitz, who nailed 7 of 10 inside the 20. The Showboats had 1:49 and 2 time outs to try to get 60 yards or so to tie the game or 96 to win. Memphis converted twice on 4th down, once on a completed pass despite pass interference, then another pass interference penalty kept the drive alive. A couple plays later, Donut Mogul Tim Horton caught a pass and fumbled, but the ball went harmlessly out of bounds.
All of the fans in the Silverdome were holding their collective breaths as the Showboats were getting all the breaks and it was looking like we could possibly be headed for OT. David Allen took a sack on the next play and the clock would hit 0:00 shortly after, preserving victory for Michigan.
Gamblers 27 Gold 20
This was a back and forth game on the scoreboard though Denver literally threw the game away. The Gold had little trouble moving the ball on the Gamblers defense as Richard Funkhouser ran for 108 yards and had 109 receiving. Andrew Brewer was 33/55, 373 yards and 2 TDs. While the Houston defense bent, the only breaking they did was breaking the spirit of the Denver offense. Despite all of the offensive yards, Brewer was sacked 5 times and intercepted 4. Denver ran the ball 20 times for 140 yards and had a 27-10 first down advantage.
It's not like Houston did nothing though. Tony Dean was an efficient 24/33, 283 yards and 3 TD. Zero was the most important number for Houston and Dean, as in zero INT and zero turnovers. Denver scored first to take a 7-0 lead, then Houston scored 10 straight to take the lead back. Denver tied it at 10 before halftime, and tied it again at 17 in the 3rd. Denver got their 2 TDs from Richard Huff, and Richard Funkhouser. Houston's 2 TD up to this point came from Chase Miles, and Gabriel Ahrens.
That TD pass from Dean to Ahrens came on the first play after a Brewer INT. Midway through the 4th qtr, Brewer suffered a case of deja vu, watching a Gabriel Ahrens TD on the first play following an INT. That made the score 27-17 Houston, though Denver would pull within 27-20 with 4:05 to go. Houston went 3 and out, punting Denver at their own 12 with just over 3 minutes left.
Needing a TD to tie, the Gold advanced all the way to Houston's 5 yard line before Charles Wallace sacked Brewer with 0:40 left, allowing Denver time for just 1 more play. That 4 yard gain was not enough and the time ran out on Denver's season.
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
1988 Wildcard Round
The quest for World Bowl XV began with the Wildcard Round this morning. We had 3 teams go wild and 1 close game, let's see how it all went down.
Showboats 29 Sun 0
We'll start with two time defending champion Memphis on the road at Southern California. We all know the strange journey for Memphis in 1988, but IOT is back trying for a threepeat. A 1st qtr interception by Willie Lawhon set the Showboats up with the ball at the Sun 36. Nine plays later, Howard Aguirre caught a 7 yard TD pass from David Allen. The two point conversion was good for an early 8-0 lead. Following a three and out by the Sun offense, Memphis pushed the lead to 16-0, thanks to Donut Mogul Tim Horton and the second two point conversion by James Nash. The Showboats would add a FG for a halftime lead of 19-0.
Memphis saw the return of RB Mark Lambert and he put the icing on the cake with his 5 yard TD run to extend the Showboats lead to 26-0. Lambert rushed for 93 yards and added another 40 receiving to lead the Memphis offense.
Memphis didn't display video game offensive numbers, but their defense made sure the offense didn't have to. They held Southern California to just 145 yards of total offense, and made life miserable for Sun QB Wilmer Kimble. Kimble was sacked 4 times and threw 2 interceptions as part of his 20/37 for 112 yard performance.
Gold 58 Thunderbolts 10
Cleveland traveled to the Rocky Mountains to take on the Denver Gold and got hit with an avalanche of points. The 58 that Denver put up is not a playoff record, off the top of my head I know Birmingham put up 77 on my Generals a few seasons back. Regardless, the Thunderbolts clearly had no answer for the trio of Denver QB Andrew Brewer (28/39 507 yds 7 TD 0 INT), WR Richard Funkhouser (19 rushes 79 yards, 10 receptions 171 yards 4 TD) and WR Jose Buford (9 receptions 269 yards 3 TD).
The game featured 5 TDs of 60+ yards with Cleveland getting the first one. That came early and cut the Denver lead to 13-7, before the Gold ran off 17 unanswered points. In the middle of that run came halftime, with the score 23-7 Gold. Denver got the ball to start the 3rd and hit it big on the first offensive play. Later in the 3rd, Funkhouser matched Buford with a long TD of his own. Buford struck again late 3rd qtr to make the score 44-13. With the game well in hand, Funkhouser threw salt on the wounds with his second long TD.
Cleveland put up some yards but they dug themselves too big of a hole and never could climb out.
Renegades 17 Bandits 14
The National Conference featured two intradivision games where the teams split in the regular season. Orlando took a short trip to Tampa for a 3rd game against the Bandits. Tampa Bay QB Melvin Driggers had been tossing INTs lately but he only had one today but failed to toss a TD pass.
The game began as a defensive struggle and it was 6-3 Bandits midway through the 2nd quarter. Following a punt that pinned Orlando at their 1 yard line, Tampa Bay scored with their defense. A short dump pass in the end zone never made it out and the safety gave the Bandits a baseball like 8-3 lead. While the Bandits offense did not cross the goal line all day, Orlando was able to twice. The first one went for 30 yards from Elwood Savage to Daniel Carter, enabling the Renegades to take the lead into halftime, 10-8.
In the 3rd qtr, Tampa Bay blocked a punt, which was legal btw, that led to another FG and an 11-10 Bandits lead. It was 14-10 midway through the final quarter when Orlando's Jose Rush ran it in from 2 yards out to give Orlando the late 17-14 lead. Tampa Bay got the ball back with 5:01 left and ran just 4 plays before the 2 minute warning. The slowdown tactic did not work as the Bandits turned it over on downs just inside Orlando territory. They never got the ball back as the Renegades ran the clock to 0:00.
Stars 48 Federals 10
This is the 4th time these division rivals have met in the playoffs and Washington has to be hoping it's the last. Just like the previous 3, Baltimore wins and advances. Baltimore QB Jon Snow threw INTs on the Stars first 2 possessions but the Federals could only get 3 points out of it. Baltimore used a little trickery for their first TD. Using the 3-1-1 personnel set, the Stars had C Randall Swink lined up as a FB. Jon Snow found him for the short TD pass to give Baltimore a 7-3 lead. Washington would get the lead back briefly, thanks to Scott Bieber finding James Dunn for a 30 yard TD.
It was all Jon Snow from that point as he fired 5 more TD passes to give him 6 total. Three of those were to Timothy Harmon who caught 11 for 174 yards with 17 more rushing. Jose Gough chipped in with 7-139-1 while Knob Creek had a combined 185 yards. Baltimore's defense held Washington to 227 total yards with a sack and forcing 2 turnovers.
Showboats 29 Sun 0
We'll start with two time defending champion Memphis on the road at Southern California. We all know the strange journey for Memphis in 1988, but IOT is back trying for a threepeat. A 1st qtr interception by Willie Lawhon set the Showboats up with the ball at the Sun 36. Nine plays later, Howard Aguirre caught a 7 yard TD pass from David Allen. The two point conversion was good for an early 8-0 lead. Following a three and out by the Sun offense, Memphis pushed the lead to 16-0, thanks to Donut Mogul Tim Horton and the second two point conversion by James Nash. The Showboats would add a FG for a halftime lead of 19-0.
Memphis saw the return of RB Mark Lambert and he put the icing on the cake with his 5 yard TD run to extend the Showboats lead to 26-0. Lambert rushed for 93 yards and added another 40 receiving to lead the Memphis offense.
Memphis didn't display video game offensive numbers, but their defense made sure the offense didn't have to. They held Southern California to just 145 yards of total offense, and made life miserable for Sun QB Wilmer Kimble. Kimble was sacked 4 times and threw 2 interceptions as part of his 20/37 for 112 yard performance.
Gold 58 Thunderbolts 10
Cleveland traveled to the Rocky Mountains to take on the Denver Gold and got hit with an avalanche of points. The 58 that Denver put up is not a playoff record, off the top of my head I know Birmingham put up 77 on my Generals a few seasons back. Regardless, the Thunderbolts clearly had no answer for the trio of Denver QB Andrew Brewer (28/39 507 yds 7 TD 0 INT), WR Richard Funkhouser (19 rushes 79 yards, 10 receptions 171 yards 4 TD) and WR Jose Buford (9 receptions 269 yards 3 TD).
The game featured 5 TDs of 60+ yards with Cleveland getting the first one. That came early and cut the Denver lead to 13-7, before the Gold ran off 17 unanswered points. In the middle of that run came halftime, with the score 23-7 Gold. Denver got the ball to start the 3rd and hit it big on the first offensive play. Later in the 3rd, Funkhouser matched Buford with a long TD of his own. Buford struck again late 3rd qtr to make the score 44-13. With the game well in hand, Funkhouser threw salt on the wounds with his second long TD.
Cleveland put up some yards but they dug themselves too big of a hole and never could climb out.
Renegades 17 Bandits 14
The National Conference featured two intradivision games where the teams split in the regular season. Orlando took a short trip to Tampa for a 3rd game against the Bandits. Tampa Bay QB Melvin Driggers had been tossing INTs lately but he only had one today but failed to toss a TD pass.
The game began as a defensive struggle and it was 6-3 Bandits midway through the 2nd quarter. Following a punt that pinned Orlando at their 1 yard line, Tampa Bay scored with their defense. A short dump pass in the end zone never made it out and the safety gave the Bandits a baseball like 8-3 lead. While the Bandits offense did not cross the goal line all day, Orlando was able to twice. The first one went for 30 yards from Elwood Savage to Daniel Carter, enabling the Renegades to take the lead into halftime, 10-8.
In the 3rd qtr, Tampa Bay blocked a punt, which was legal btw, that led to another FG and an 11-10 Bandits lead. It was 14-10 midway through the final quarter when Orlando's Jose Rush ran it in from 2 yards out to give Orlando the late 17-14 lead. Tampa Bay got the ball back with 5:01 left and ran just 4 plays before the 2 minute warning. The slowdown tactic did not work as the Bandits turned it over on downs just inside Orlando territory. They never got the ball back as the Renegades ran the clock to 0:00.
Stars 48 Federals 10
This is the 4th time these division rivals have met in the playoffs and Washington has to be hoping it's the last. Just like the previous 3, Baltimore wins and advances. Baltimore QB Jon Snow threw INTs on the Stars first 2 possessions but the Federals could only get 3 points out of it. Baltimore used a little trickery for their first TD. Using the 3-1-1 personnel set, the Stars had C Randall Swink lined up as a FB. Jon Snow found him for the short TD pass to give Baltimore a 7-3 lead. Washington would get the lead back briefly, thanks to Scott Bieber finding James Dunn for a 30 yard TD.
It was all Jon Snow from that point as he fired 5 more TD passes to give him 6 total. Three of those were to Timothy Harmon who caught 11 for 174 yards with 17 more rushing. Jose Gough chipped in with 7-139-1 while Knob Creek had a combined 185 yards. Baltimore's defense held Washington to 227 total yards with a sack and forcing 2 turnovers.
Saturday, April 25, 2020
Week 15: Bonus Playoff Games
As the USFL/WFL winds down another season, several games ended up being "almost playoff" games this week. It's hard to pin down the exact playoff scenarios because MFN does not strictly follow the NFL tiebreaker rules but diverges at some unknown point. The standings glitch has come into play again too. The Southeast and Atlantic divisions are separated by 1 game with 1 to go, and MFN says Tampa Bay and Baltimore are division winners, though if MFN is to be believed, then why is Orlando not marked as in the playoffs? Ten teams in the National Conference have a little "e" next to them, meaning eliminated. That would mean the 6 remaining teams are in, but Orlando is blank, so what gives?
Bottom line is nobody but JDB knows the exact MFN tiebreaker list, though I do know for a fact MFN does not exactly follow the NFL. If they did, I would not have made the playoffs with my Russia team in the World League a couple seasons ago. I lost strength of schedule but got in on net points according to JDB.
If you're within 1 game of a playoff spot, I would assume you're still alive and play to win.
Wranglers 31 Storm 24
Arizona and Portland met with the winner staying alive and the loser likely eliminated. Arizona scored the first TD of the game on an 18 yard pass from Joseph Jones to Desmond Kirkland. Portland tied the game at 7 thanks to a short TD pass from Oscar Willis to Timothy Roquemore. Arizona got the lead back 2 plays later, as Desmond Kirkland ripped a 60 yard run followed by a 15 yard TD pass to Eric Duncan. Portland would tie the game at 14 early in the 2nd quarter on an Alfred Gale 5 yard run. With just over a minute left in the first half, the Wranglers again broke the tie thanks to Desmond Kirkland. This 78 yard run featured several broken tackles near the line of scrimmage before Kirkland broke free and found nothing but green grass between him and the end zone.
Portland tied the game at 21 in the 3rd quarter thanks to this 5 yard Oscar Willis pass to Stephen Hicks. Arizona would take the lead for good thanks to that man Kirkland again. His 18 yard TD run was his 3rd TD of the game, and he finished 165 rushing yards on just 12 carries and chipping in 2 catches for 19 yards.
The teams traded FGs after that for our final score of 31-24 Arizona. The Wranglers are still alive for the playoffs while Portland is eliminated.
Federals 26 Generals 9
New Jersey traveled to Washington DC to face the Federals in an elimination game for both. The Generals have won the East division 10 straight seasons, but after this game, they find themselves home in January. New Jersey did manage to dent the scoreboard first, kicking a FG for a 3-0 lead. There were 7 total FGs in this game, the second of which tied the score at 3. Just before halftime, Washington got the first of 2 Scott Bieber to Robert Sullivan TD passes. This gave the Federals a 10-3 halftime lead.
The 3rd qtr saw two more Washington FGs to make the score 16-3. New Jersey, who had struggled to move the ball all day, kicked a FG early in the 4th to cut the deficit to 16-6. Two plays later, Washington dealt the death blow on the 2nd Bieber to Sullivan hook up. Sullivan caught 11 passes for 170 yards and 2 TDs as the Generals couldn't cover him.
Washington qualifies for the playoffs with this win and it's possible the Federals can tie Baltimore for the Atlantic division, but I believe the Stars have the tiebreaker. We'll see how that shakes out. New Jersey's division winning streak comes to an end and they will miss the playoffs for the first time since 1976.
Showboats 32 Outlaws 16
Memphis WR Willie Howland was known for big plays before this season began, but an ownership change put him on ice in 1988. What also got put on ice was the Showboats dominance, as they lost 4 games before yet another ownership change brought back Infinity on Trial. The first thing IOT wanted to do was re-establish Willie Howland, and today that happened. Howland caught 5 passes, 2 for TDs with 107 yards as Memphis jumped out to a 22-7 halftime lead and never looked back.
The Outlaws defense did force 4 Memphis turnovers but the Oklahoma offense was offensive as they could only muster 152 total yards. The win keeps Memphis alive and all they have to do is win in Week 16 to defend their 2 championships. The loss eliminates Oklahoma from playoff consideration.
(NY) Stars 28 Renegades 21
New York scored 28 the hard way, with 4 FGs, 2 TDs and a safety as they dominated the first 50 minutes of the game before holding off a late Orlando rally. The Renegades threw 5 INTs which helped New York to keep scoring. There were no 100 yard rushers or receivers, nor a 300 yard passer.
The victory plus the New Jersey loss gives New York it's 3rd East Division championship, first since winning it back to back in 1976-77. The Stars last post season appearance was as a wildcard in 1981. Orlando is still "in the hunt" after the loss and I believe they're actually in but I could be wrong.
VooDoo 25 Gold 6
New Orleans won the battle of teams fighting for home field in their respective conferences and the road to the World Bowl will go through New Orleans. The VooDoo forced 4 Denver turnovers and turned on the offense in the second half en route to a comfortable win. It took Smirt a couple of seasons to get New Orleans to this lofty level but now they're here, don't be surprised if they are in the World Bowl.
Denver will still be in the playoffs, but as the #3 seed which means no BYE week.
Gamblers 42 Gunslingers 23
Houston jumped out to leads of 28-0 and 42-3 before a late San Antonio rally made the final score look better. Tony Dean threw 6 TD passes and 446 yards and the Gamblers added 149 rushing yards as they overwhelmed the Gunslingers defense. Dean's 6 TD passes went to 6 different receivers.
The win plus a Denver loss gives Houston at least the #2 seed and a BYE.
Panthers 27 Blitz 3
Michigan WR Peter Lewis caught 6 passes for 151 yards and 2 TDs as Michigan blitzed Chicago, cementing a BYE week in the process. The Panthers dominated from the outset and look ready for a deep playoff run.
Bulls 27 Bandits 10
Tampa Bay has qualified for the playoffs but have now lost 2 games in a row, and Bandits fans are worried about QB Melvin Driggers. Driggers was having a great season before his recent rough stretch, and Tampa Bay needs him to turn the tide quickly if they're to make a deep playoff run.
Jacksonville is shown as eliminated, but it's possible it's just a standings glitch. Bulls WR/RB Timothy Richardson ran for 63 yards and added 201 receiving, though he did not dent the end zone.
Thunderbolts 49 Wheels 10
Samuel Draper ran for 127 yards and a TD, adding a 23 yard TD reception and Jose Beamon caught 3 for 128 yards and a TD as Cleveland dominated Detroit. Cleveland is in the driver's seat for a wildcard, only needing to win in Week 16.
Breakers 23 Bell 9
Maulers 20 Force 17
Blazers 17 Hornets 12
Sun 27 Hawaiians 24 (OT)
Express 23 SaberCats 6
Invaders 16 Steamer 6
Stars 31 Stallions 12
Bottom line is nobody but JDB knows the exact MFN tiebreaker list, though I do know for a fact MFN does not exactly follow the NFL. If they did, I would not have made the playoffs with my Russia team in the World League a couple seasons ago. I lost strength of schedule but got in on net points according to JDB.
If you're within 1 game of a playoff spot, I would assume you're still alive and play to win.
Wranglers 31 Storm 24
Arizona and Portland met with the winner staying alive and the loser likely eliminated. Arizona scored the first TD of the game on an 18 yard pass from Joseph Jones to Desmond Kirkland. Portland tied the game at 7 thanks to a short TD pass from Oscar Willis to Timothy Roquemore. Arizona got the lead back 2 plays later, as Desmond Kirkland ripped a 60 yard run followed by a 15 yard TD pass to Eric Duncan. Portland would tie the game at 14 early in the 2nd quarter on an Alfred Gale 5 yard run. With just over a minute left in the first half, the Wranglers again broke the tie thanks to Desmond Kirkland. This 78 yard run featured several broken tackles near the line of scrimmage before Kirkland broke free and found nothing but green grass between him and the end zone.
Portland tied the game at 21 in the 3rd quarter thanks to this 5 yard Oscar Willis pass to Stephen Hicks. Arizona would take the lead for good thanks to that man Kirkland again. His 18 yard TD run was his 3rd TD of the game, and he finished 165 rushing yards on just 12 carries and chipping in 2 catches for 19 yards.
The teams traded FGs after that for our final score of 31-24 Arizona. The Wranglers are still alive for the playoffs while Portland is eliminated.
Federals 26 Generals 9
New Jersey traveled to Washington DC to face the Federals in an elimination game for both. The Generals have won the East division 10 straight seasons, but after this game, they find themselves home in January. New Jersey did manage to dent the scoreboard first, kicking a FG for a 3-0 lead. There were 7 total FGs in this game, the second of which tied the score at 3. Just before halftime, Washington got the first of 2 Scott Bieber to Robert Sullivan TD passes. This gave the Federals a 10-3 halftime lead.
The 3rd qtr saw two more Washington FGs to make the score 16-3. New Jersey, who had struggled to move the ball all day, kicked a FG early in the 4th to cut the deficit to 16-6. Two plays later, Washington dealt the death blow on the 2nd Bieber to Sullivan hook up. Sullivan caught 11 passes for 170 yards and 2 TDs as the Generals couldn't cover him.
Washington qualifies for the playoffs with this win and it's possible the Federals can tie Baltimore for the Atlantic division, but I believe the Stars have the tiebreaker. We'll see how that shakes out. New Jersey's division winning streak comes to an end and they will miss the playoffs for the first time since 1976.
Showboats 32 Outlaws 16
Memphis WR Willie Howland was known for big plays before this season began, but an ownership change put him on ice in 1988. What also got put on ice was the Showboats dominance, as they lost 4 games before yet another ownership change brought back Infinity on Trial. The first thing IOT wanted to do was re-establish Willie Howland, and today that happened. Howland caught 5 passes, 2 for TDs with 107 yards as Memphis jumped out to a 22-7 halftime lead and never looked back.
The Outlaws defense did force 4 Memphis turnovers but the Oklahoma offense was offensive as they could only muster 152 total yards. The win keeps Memphis alive and all they have to do is win in Week 16 to defend their 2 championships. The loss eliminates Oklahoma from playoff consideration.
(NY) Stars 28 Renegades 21
New York scored 28 the hard way, with 4 FGs, 2 TDs and a safety as they dominated the first 50 minutes of the game before holding off a late Orlando rally. The Renegades threw 5 INTs which helped New York to keep scoring. There were no 100 yard rushers or receivers, nor a 300 yard passer.
The victory plus the New Jersey loss gives New York it's 3rd East Division championship, first since winning it back to back in 1976-77. The Stars last post season appearance was as a wildcard in 1981. Orlando is still "in the hunt" after the loss and I believe they're actually in but I could be wrong.
VooDoo 25 Gold 6
New Orleans won the battle of teams fighting for home field in their respective conferences and the road to the World Bowl will go through New Orleans. The VooDoo forced 4 Denver turnovers and turned on the offense in the second half en route to a comfortable win. It took Smirt a couple of seasons to get New Orleans to this lofty level but now they're here, don't be surprised if they are in the World Bowl.
Denver will still be in the playoffs, but as the #3 seed which means no BYE week.
Gamblers 42 Gunslingers 23
Houston jumped out to leads of 28-0 and 42-3 before a late San Antonio rally made the final score look better. Tony Dean threw 6 TD passes and 446 yards and the Gamblers added 149 rushing yards as they overwhelmed the Gunslingers defense. Dean's 6 TD passes went to 6 different receivers.
The win plus a Denver loss gives Houston at least the #2 seed and a BYE.
Panthers 27 Blitz 3
Michigan WR Peter Lewis caught 6 passes for 151 yards and 2 TDs as Michigan blitzed Chicago, cementing a BYE week in the process. The Panthers dominated from the outset and look ready for a deep playoff run.
Bulls 27 Bandits 10
Tampa Bay has qualified for the playoffs but have now lost 2 games in a row, and Bandits fans are worried about QB Melvin Driggers. Driggers was having a great season before his recent rough stretch, and Tampa Bay needs him to turn the tide quickly if they're to make a deep playoff run.
Jacksonville is shown as eliminated, but it's possible it's just a standings glitch. Bulls WR/RB Timothy Richardson ran for 63 yards and added 201 receiving, though he did not dent the end zone.
Thunderbolts 49 Wheels 10
Samuel Draper ran for 127 yards and a TD, adding a 23 yard TD reception and Jose Beamon caught 3 for 128 yards and a TD as Cleveland dominated Detroit. Cleveland is in the driver's seat for a wildcard, only needing to win in Week 16.
Breakers 23 Bell 9
Maulers 20 Force 17
Blazers 17 Hornets 12
Sun 27 Hawaiians 24 (OT)
Express 23 SaberCats 6
Invaders 16 Steamer 6
Stars 31 Stallions 12
Wednesday, April 22, 2020
Week 14, Some Divisional Clarity
Week 14 provided some clarity for the American Conference as all four divisions have been decided but there are still 5 teams fighting for 2 wildcard spots. In the National Conference, the New York (NY) Stars had a big win over Tampa Bay as they look to hold off New Jersey in the East. MFN has declared the Baltimore Stars as a playoff participant, though I have my doubts. I have not run the scenarios yet, I'll wait until after Week 15 to break everything down.
Gamblers 28 Showboats 25
Memphis jumped out to a 16-7 lead early and the Showboats had a balanced offensive attack all game. Defensively they shut down the Houston running game and intercepted Tony Dean twice. The Gamblers fought back in the first half to make it 22-21 Memphis after 30 minutes. Memphis got a 3rd qtr FG and held Houston scoreless for most of the second half. With 1:12 left in the game, Tony Dean connected with Anthony Fulks for the game winning TD. That was the pair's second TD hookup of the day.
The win gives Houston the Southwest Division title while Memphis is still alive in the wildcard hunt.
Sun 34 Express 20
The Los Angeles Express had the yardage advantage, 423-290 but 3 interceptions and a Sun kickoff return for a TD helped Southern California win the game and the Pacific Division. This is just the second time the Sun have made the playoffs, but the last time was 1986 so ...the Sun are on the rise.
Gold 40 Wranglers 0
Denver made a statement in this game as they rolled the Wranglers. Gold QB Andrew Brewer passed for 550 yards and 2 TDs with Richard Funkhouser accounting for 373 of those yards. Arizona also had trouble moving the ball on offense, failing to crack 200 yards.
The win gives the Denver Gold the West Division title. The good news for Arizona is that they are still alive, the bad news is they play Denver again in Week 16.
Thunderbolts 42 Hawaiians 19
This was a de facto playoff game as the winner stayed alive while the loser was eliminated. Things did not start well for Honolulu as the opening kickoff was returned 94 yards for a TD. The Hawaiians had exactly 100 more offensive yards than Cleveland and just 1 turnover for the game. That turnover was costly though, as the interception was returned 33 yards for a TD. Cleveland also scored TDs all 3 times they cracked the red zone.
(NY) Stars 26 Bandits 23
Holy turnovers Batman! Tampa Bay QB Melvin Driggers brought back an old habit...throwing interceptions. Driggers threw 5 on the day, 2 on the opening 2 drives and 2 on the final 2 drives. These 2 teams seem playoff bound, in fact the Bandits had a spot entering this game. Neither one has won their divisions yet and they combined for 30 points in the 4th qtr.
It was 16-3 New York after 3, and they extended it to 19-3 before 2 Bandits TDs cut it to 19-17. It wasn't all bad for Driggers as he kept firing despite many poor throws. His 3rd TD pass of the 4th qtr gave Tampa Bay a 23-19 lead with 2:48 left in the game. Following Driggers first TD pass of the 4th, the Bandits elected to onside kick...and recovered. Driggers threw his 2nd TD pass on that drive and the Bandits onside kicked again...and recovered again. The 3rd TD pass for Driggers came soon after and with the lead, finally, the Bandits kicked away.
Finally getting the ball back, the Stars drove down the field for the eventual game winning TD. Tampa Bay would throw an INT on their next drive, and again on their final drive following a 3 and out for New York.
Tampa Bay is still playoff bound, though Orlando is hot on their heels. The New York Stars took a huge step toward winning the East though they could also miss the playoffs entirely.
Renegades 24 Bulls 20
Both teams are fighting to qualify for the playoffs and it showed in this back and forth game. Jacksonville held a 10-7 lead and the Bulls extended it to 13-7 in the 3rd. Orlando scored a TD mid 3rd qtr to take a 14-13 lead heading to the final 15 minutes. The Renegades extended that lead to 17-13 with just under 6 minutes left. The score would remain 17-13 Orlando until the final minute.
Jacksonville went on a 12 play, 65 yard TD drive that started with 3:06 left and they took the clock all the way down to 0:28. Following a touchback and a false start, Orlando QB Elwood Savage found Dexter Elmer who took it 80 yards to the house for the game winning TD.
Orlando improves to 10-4, 1 game behind Tampa and in control of a wildcard spot. Jacksonville falls to 8-6 with games against Tampa and New Jersey to close out the regular season.
VooDoo 25 Stars 17
Baltimore outgained New Orleans 479-285 but QB Jon Snow completed 5 passes to the wrong team and no completed passes ended in the proper end zone. The only TD Snow threw was a Pick 6 for the VooDoo.
New Orleans is heading to the playoffs as South Division champs and have clinched a coveted BYE. MFN claims Baltimore is in the playoffs despite this loss, though I'm not so sure.
I have to go to work soon, but these were the 7 most important games of Week 14. Sorry if I didn't get to your game.
Gamblers 28 Showboats 25
Memphis jumped out to a 16-7 lead early and the Showboats had a balanced offensive attack all game. Defensively they shut down the Houston running game and intercepted Tony Dean twice. The Gamblers fought back in the first half to make it 22-21 Memphis after 30 minutes. Memphis got a 3rd qtr FG and held Houston scoreless for most of the second half. With 1:12 left in the game, Tony Dean connected with Anthony Fulks for the game winning TD. That was the pair's second TD hookup of the day.
The win gives Houston the Southwest Division title while Memphis is still alive in the wildcard hunt.
Sun 34 Express 20
The Los Angeles Express had the yardage advantage, 423-290 but 3 interceptions and a Sun kickoff return for a TD helped Southern California win the game and the Pacific Division. This is just the second time the Sun have made the playoffs, but the last time was 1986 so ...the Sun are on the rise.
Gold 40 Wranglers 0
Denver made a statement in this game as they rolled the Wranglers. Gold QB Andrew Brewer passed for 550 yards and 2 TDs with Richard Funkhouser accounting for 373 of those yards. Arizona also had trouble moving the ball on offense, failing to crack 200 yards.
The win gives the Denver Gold the West Division title. The good news for Arizona is that they are still alive, the bad news is they play Denver again in Week 16.
Thunderbolts 42 Hawaiians 19
This was a de facto playoff game as the winner stayed alive while the loser was eliminated. Things did not start well for Honolulu as the opening kickoff was returned 94 yards for a TD. The Hawaiians had exactly 100 more offensive yards than Cleveland and just 1 turnover for the game. That turnover was costly though, as the interception was returned 33 yards for a TD. Cleveland also scored TDs all 3 times they cracked the red zone.
(NY) Stars 26 Bandits 23
Holy turnovers Batman! Tampa Bay QB Melvin Driggers brought back an old habit...throwing interceptions. Driggers threw 5 on the day, 2 on the opening 2 drives and 2 on the final 2 drives. These 2 teams seem playoff bound, in fact the Bandits had a spot entering this game. Neither one has won their divisions yet and they combined for 30 points in the 4th qtr.
It was 16-3 New York after 3, and they extended it to 19-3 before 2 Bandits TDs cut it to 19-17. It wasn't all bad for Driggers as he kept firing despite many poor throws. His 3rd TD pass of the 4th qtr gave Tampa Bay a 23-19 lead with 2:48 left in the game. Following Driggers first TD pass of the 4th, the Bandits elected to onside kick...and recovered. Driggers threw his 2nd TD pass on that drive and the Bandits onside kicked again...and recovered again. The 3rd TD pass for Driggers came soon after and with the lead, finally, the Bandits kicked away.
Finally getting the ball back, the Stars drove down the field for the eventual game winning TD. Tampa Bay would throw an INT on their next drive, and again on their final drive following a 3 and out for New York.
Tampa Bay is still playoff bound, though Orlando is hot on their heels. The New York Stars took a huge step toward winning the East though they could also miss the playoffs entirely.
Renegades 24 Bulls 20
Both teams are fighting to qualify for the playoffs and it showed in this back and forth game. Jacksonville held a 10-7 lead and the Bulls extended it to 13-7 in the 3rd. Orlando scored a TD mid 3rd qtr to take a 14-13 lead heading to the final 15 minutes. The Renegades extended that lead to 17-13 with just under 6 minutes left. The score would remain 17-13 Orlando until the final minute.
Jacksonville went on a 12 play, 65 yard TD drive that started with 3:06 left and they took the clock all the way down to 0:28. Following a touchback and a false start, Orlando QB Elwood Savage found Dexter Elmer who took it 80 yards to the house for the game winning TD.
Orlando improves to 10-4, 1 game behind Tampa and in control of a wildcard spot. Jacksonville falls to 8-6 with games against Tampa and New Jersey to close out the regular season.
VooDoo 25 Stars 17
Baltimore outgained New Orleans 479-285 but QB Jon Snow completed 5 passes to the wrong team and no completed passes ended in the proper end zone. The only TD Snow threw was a Pick 6 for the VooDoo.
New Orleans is heading to the playoffs as South Division champs and have clinched a coveted BYE. MFN claims Baltimore is in the playoffs despite this loss, though I'm not so sure.
I have to go to work soon, but these were the 7 most important games of Week 14. Sorry if I didn't get to your game.
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Playoff Push
Things are finally starting to get back to normal for me, and with the playoffs approaching, it's time to start writing the blog again. This one will be short and sweet since kickoff for Week 14 is almost here.
American Conference
Clinched Division: Michigan Panthers
Clinched Playoff Berth: Denver Gold, Houston Gamblers
In The Hunt: Southern California Sun, Honolulu Hawaiians, Los Angeles Express, Arizona Wranglers, Portland Storm, Memphis Showboats, Oklahoma Outlaws, Cleveland Thunderbolts
The Pacific division is still up for grabs, but the Southern California Sun have a 2 game lead on Honolulu. The Hawaiians have a road game @ Cleveland, which looks to be an elimination game. The Los Angeles Express need a win at Southern California to stay alive. San Jose has been eliminated.
The West division is still strong, just not as dominant as all four teams were in 1987. The Denver Gold are in the playoffs and will win the West if they beat Arizona tonight. Speaking of the Wranglers, at 8-5, they would be the current #6 seed but can't afford too many more losses as the Portland Storm are right behind them at 7-6. The Wranglers play the Storm in Week 15 and turn around in Week 16 for a quick rematch with Denver. The Oakland Invaders have been eliminated.
The Houston Gamblers have a 2.5 game lead on the Memphis Showboats and will clinch the Southwest with a victory over Memphis tonight. The Showboats are currently 8-4-1 and the #5 seed. Those 4 losses under Greyghost equals the number of games Infinity on Trial lost in 3 complete seasons, and by the way...he's baaaccckkk and looking for a threepeat. The Oklahoma Outlaws are still alive at 6-7 but have a lot of teams to climb over while the San Antonio Gunslingers have been eliminated.
The Midwest division belongs to the 11-1-1 Michigan Panthers. Cleveland is still alive at 7-5-1 and the Thunderbolts have an elimination game of sorts against Honolulu tonight. The Chicago Blitz and Detroit Wheels have been eliminated.
National Conference
Clinched Division: New Orleans VooDoo
Clinched Playoff Berth: Tampa Bay Bandits
In The Hunt: Orlando Renegades, Jacksonville Bulls, Florida Blazers, Baltimore Stars, Washington Federals, New York Stars, New Jersey Generals
The Southeast division has the best cumulative W-L record in the league and it shows, as all four teams are still alive. Tampa Bay leads at 11-2 and the Bandits face East leading (NY) Stars tonight. Orlando is second at 9-4 while Jacksonville sits third at 8-5. The Renegades and the Bulls play tonight in a huge game for both. The Florida Blazers may be in last place but they are still alive for a playoff spot, though they likely need to win out.
In the South division it's all about that VooDoo, as in the New Orleans VooDoo. They are 11-2 and have long wrapped up the division. The Shreveport Steamer, Birmingham Stallions and Georgia Force have all been eliminated.
The Atlantic division might not come down to Week 16 for a change as the Baltimore Stars (10-3) have a 2 game lead over the Washington Federals (8-5). The Stars do have a tougher last 3 games (26-13 combined, NO, Birm, TB) than the Federals (17-22, Pitt, NJ, Okl). The Pittsburgh Maulers and Charlotte Hornets have been eliminated.
The East division has long been owned by the New Jersey Generals, but in 1988 the New York Stars are looking to change that. The Stars currently lead the East with a 9-4 record and their remaining opponents have a combined 20-19 record (TB, Orl, Bos). The Generals have only missed the playoffs twice in league history (1974, 1976) and following a wild card berth in 1977 have won the East every year since. New Jersey's remaining schedule shows a combined 16-23 record as they face Boston, Washington and Jacksonville.
Best of luck to everyone, whether you are fighting for the playoffs or looking toward 1989. Looking forward to another exciting finish to our season.
American Conference
Clinched Division: Michigan Panthers
Clinched Playoff Berth: Denver Gold, Houston Gamblers
In The Hunt: Southern California Sun, Honolulu Hawaiians, Los Angeles Express, Arizona Wranglers, Portland Storm, Memphis Showboats, Oklahoma Outlaws, Cleveland Thunderbolts
The Pacific division is still up for grabs, but the Southern California Sun have a 2 game lead on Honolulu. The Hawaiians have a road game @ Cleveland, which looks to be an elimination game. The Los Angeles Express need a win at Southern California to stay alive. San Jose has been eliminated.
The West division is still strong, just not as dominant as all four teams were in 1987. The Denver Gold are in the playoffs and will win the West if they beat Arizona tonight. Speaking of the Wranglers, at 8-5, they would be the current #6 seed but can't afford too many more losses as the Portland Storm are right behind them at 7-6. The Wranglers play the Storm in Week 15 and turn around in Week 16 for a quick rematch with Denver. The Oakland Invaders have been eliminated.
The Houston Gamblers have a 2.5 game lead on the Memphis Showboats and will clinch the Southwest with a victory over Memphis tonight. The Showboats are currently 8-4-1 and the #5 seed. Those 4 losses under Greyghost equals the number of games Infinity on Trial lost in 3 complete seasons, and by the way...he's baaaccckkk and looking for a threepeat. The Oklahoma Outlaws are still alive at 6-7 but have a lot of teams to climb over while the San Antonio Gunslingers have been eliminated.
The Midwest division belongs to the 11-1-1 Michigan Panthers. Cleveland is still alive at 7-5-1 and the Thunderbolts have an elimination game of sorts against Honolulu tonight. The Chicago Blitz and Detroit Wheels have been eliminated.
National Conference
Clinched Division: New Orleans VooDoo
Clinched Playoff Berth: Tampa Bay Bandits
In The Hunt: Orlando Renegades, Jacksonville Bulls, Florida Blazers, Baltimore Stars, Washington Federals, New York Stars, New Jersey Generals
The Southeast division has the best cumulative W-L record in the league and it shows, as all four teams are still alive. Tampa Bay leads at 11-2 and the Bandits face East leading (NY) Stars tonight. Orlando is second at 9-4 while Jacksonville sits third at 8-5. The Renegades and the Bulls play tonight in a huge game for both. The Florida Blazers may be in last place but they are still alive for a playoff spot, though they likely need to win out.
In the South division it's all about that VooDoo, as in the New Orleans VooDoo. They are 11-2 and have long wrapped up the division. The Shreveport Steamer, Birmingham Stallions and Georgia Force have all been eliminated.
The Atlantic division might not come down to Week 16 for a change as the Baltimore Stars (10-3) have a 2 game lead over the Washington Federals (8-5). The Stars do have a tougher last 3 games (26-13 combined, NO, Birm, TB) than the Federals (17-22, Pitt, NJ, Okl). The Pittsburgh Maulers and Charlotte Hornets have been eliminated.
The East division has long been owned by the New Jersey Generals, but in 1988 the New York Stars are looking to change that. The Stars currently lead the East with a 9-4 record and their remaining opponents have a combined 20-19 record (TB, Orl, Bos). The Generals have only missed the playoffs twice in league history (1974, 1976) and following a wild card berth in 1977 have won the East every year since. New Jersey's remaining schedule shows a combined 16-23 record as they face Boston, Washington and Jacksonville.
Best of luck to everyone, whether you are fighting for the playoffs or looking toward 1989. Looking forward to another exciting finish to our season.
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