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Two perfect weeks in a row and we're BACK baby! 22-17 is solid for this point in the season! DEN stays alive with a win over ORE with the game ball going to DE Sapia (who was questionable to even play!) and the defense. Good progress from QB Dole but... well, not the best competition. QB Fryday and the Voodoos reconciled quickly and got back to winning ways. WR McCreadie's integration into the team still needs work but it's looking better. And Boston... my god, if they make it into the postseason this is a team to watch. 538 simulations have their chances at around 10% though so...
Onward to more teams fighting to keep their dreams alive:
Texas at Omaha (-18) - 2-4 fading TEX... can't blame TUC there for wanting to lose. I know the players weren't trying to lose but it was definitely in the best interests of the franchise to come away with a higher pick. This 18 point spread is gross and I'm not confident that Omaha covers in 60 minutes. I'm thinking they go up 18 points in the first half, start resting starters, and maybe TEX comes in through the back door. Still... I don't want to back QB Marsh at all so let's go Arrowheads: OMA wins 36-7.
Atlanta at Baltimore (-3) - After dropping a goose egg at Detroit last week, spirits in the Bombers camp have to be low. QB O'Neill was surprisingly careful with the ball, but receivers weren't able to break tackles when they got the ball. It really is up to the defense to do everything for Baltimore.
Atlanta snapped a two game skid with a tidy fourth quarter comeback against the Rounders. The game's complexion changed dramatically after CB Alworth stood RB Gmerek up, causing a fumble, and DROY LB Hargreaves left the game with an ankle injury. QB Clements played his most efficient game of the season and the defense tightened up just enough. It's encouraging for a team deep in the wildcard race.
Unfortunately, the matchup is a rough one for ATL. BAL's defense is well suited to stop anything the Firebirds can throw on offense. On the other side, ATL's defensive line should struggle against a heavy dose of RB Humphries, an athletic do-it-all back similar to RBs Perkins, Ellingsen, and Harden. All that said, I can't side with the Bombers this week. They should've beaten Detroit last week and the hit to morale after the loss has to be factored in. ATL wins 20-17.
Denver at Kansas City (-7) - The Storm are peaking right on time-- 7 wins (some against excellent competition!) in a row brings them to the top of the Great Lakes division. The remaining schedule appears pretty straight forward but DEN and MIA could pose some danger.
You would think the Storm's abandonment of the run would make them a bit easier to stop but that hasn't been the case. The team's cadre of talented of receivers mean that there's always someone open and double-teaming anyone is an exercise in futility. RB Mansour and FB Jordan are also dangerous targets in their own right and most defenses simply don't have the personnel that can cover everyone. Their strategy is to outpace and outscore opponents and it's hard to argue with the results. Through 12 games, KCY has scored in every single first quarter.
Denver needs to slow things down and limit KCY's opportunities. They should be able to do that with RBs like Eagleton and Duran and a loaded defensive line, but they need to rein QB Dole in first. It can be good to let the rookie loose and learn from his mistakes but they have a chance at the playoffs.
The public is favoring KCY heavily this week. They've taken some big name scalps these last few weeks and if DEN's pass rush doesn't find the mark this week, this aging secondary will struggle to keep up with the Storm's burners. Their showing against ORE gives me some hope that they haven't quit on the season just yet, though. I'll take the points with the Dynomite: KCY wins 33-27.
Shreveport at Boise City (-4) - After the great starts both of these teams had, I would not have expected either to be on the playoff bubble. BOI's excuse is that they've had to rely on a backup QB, but SHR doesn't really have an excuse. Two of the teams in their division are still full-swing rebuilding and the third is collapsing prior to the rebuild. Is the sun really setting on the Pride or is there value on the road dog?
We'll start with breaking down BOI's last game and recent form. The Stampede went with QB Allen, finally back from concussion protocol, and it looked great-- for three quarters. The veteran threw 2 costly interceptions (one pick six) in the fourth quarter and pretty much punted the game away. BOI still looked like a contender otherwise and it will be interesting to see who they roll with for the rest of the season. QB Fitzgerald wasn't doing THAT badly to be benched but QB Allen may be enough better at this point.
The Pride was never expected to go into Durham and win-- the snowstorm made sure of that-- but SHR made it close after going down 0-13. The offense generated good yardage but the Bulldogs red zone defense was stout and points were elusive. Durham's defense made a couple key plays that resulted in SHR's uncharacteristically poor third down conversion rate. From an outsider's perspective, QB Scott is taking on too much of the offensive load. I'd like to see RB Zhang out of the doghouse and pounding the rock.
I can see why the line favors BOI after reviewing recent games. The Stampede looks much better after the BYE and seems to have the right idea offensively, individual mistakes aside. The Pride continues to tinker in search of their early season success and I think they aren't too far off... but they need to win now. GM Raven Hawk knows what's at stake and should be able to corral a win against a team that still needs to decide who their starting QB will be. SHR wins 24-20 behind a big game from RB Zhang.
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GL Division Champions: 2057, 2059, 2065
EFC Champions: 2057
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