Figured I'd throw together a little deal about the day that was in the West. This can also serve as the GG / discussion thread, hopefully. Think Bel Air Billionaire Lite. Hopefully I can keep on doing this if it gets a good response.
Western Conference Results, Week 14
Oakland Wizards > San Antonio Syndicate, 119-0
Buffalo Rangers > Los Angeles Ice Drakes, 202-0
Tuscon Nighthawks > Portland Hitmen, 44-38
Spicewood Longhorns > Austin Lumberjacks, 139-0
Kansas City Predators > Dallas Red Raiders, 44-24
San Diego Marauders > Bay Area Bombers, 67-21
Silverymoon Elves > Miami Cyclones, 140-0
Albuquerque Mustangs > Grand Haven Mist, 37-14
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Final Analysis:
Albuquerque Mustangs > Grand Haven Mist, 37-14
Grand Haven's been the talk of the Western Conference in season 5, announcing their arrival to the ranks of the contenders with stunning upsets over 4 more talented squads. Buffalo, Pre-gut Austin, Tuscon, and Portland all fell to the Mist's shrewd gameplanning and aggressive playcalling, but in their last game they ran into a Spicewood unit determined to avoid the mistakes that had doomed their contemporaries, ending a 4 game win streak. This week they faced an angry Mustangs team coming off of a loss to Grand Haven's first victims - the Buffalo Rangers. This set up as an intriguing clash with massive playoff implications. Spicewood, Oakland, and Silverymoon fans all had their eyes on this game, hoping for a Mustangs slip up that could open up the logjam that is the fight for first place.
What they got was an impressive bounce back from a determined Albuquerque unit that hasn't lost back to back games in over 2 seasons. Grand Haven is the ultimate defensive football team. They match up with higher level opposition by playing a ferocious brand of defense. The keys to them were always going to be to win the turnover battle and to limit the big plays. Unfortunately, Albuquerque's quarterback duo of Mark Gamble and Spiel Mannsfluch were ruthlessly efficient. Their combined 452 yards and 3 touchdowns - and importantly lack of interceptions - overcame an anemic rushing effort and allowed them to keep the scoreboard ticking. The Mustangs also made more than their fair share of big plays.
Grand Haven defensive coordinator lukin82 is something of a maniac when it comes to defensive schemes, and he rolled the dice against the Mustang running game, meeting the offset I formations with a goal line set. The ploy worked as intended against the Mustang's rushing attack, but gave up several crucial passing plays out of those formations, most notably the 73 yard connection from Gamble to Titanium Fist that got the Mustangs' scoring machine moving.
The Mist defense played their hearts out, limiting albuquerque to less than a tenth of a yard per rush and accumulating 7 sacks, but were only able to create 1 turnover and were gouged aerially. Their counterparts, on the other hand, had a significantly easier task in slowing down the struggling Mist offensive unit. Grand Haven too could not move the football on the ground, although there appeared to be a serious lack of trying - the Grand Haven backs combined for only 15 rushes. Part of that probably had to do with having to play catchup, but Grand Haven was in the game for the first 2 and a half quarters and still seemed to have given up all semblance of offensive balance. It was a shrewd gameplan, but ultimately too many wide open incompletions combined with some excellent coverage and pressure from Albuquerque would be its undoing. Albuquerque controlled the game and avoided the upset with a 37-14 victory.
Tuscon Nighthawks > Portland Hitmen, 44-38
This was unquestionably the biggest game of week 14 - a crucial tilt between the 8th and 9th place teams in the standings for the 8th and final playoff spot. The game did not disappoint, either, a high scoring barnburner between two talented football teams that haven't been able to catch a break this year.
Tuscon came into the season with high hopes, fresh off of a BBB13 championship and brimming with confidence after seeing how fellow 13 moveups Silverymoon and Austin had acquitted themselves in prior seasons. The league looked forward to Mr.Moses's mocking poetry almost as much as seeing if they could match the success of Austin from a year ago. Instead, Tuscon ran into a buzzsaw in Spicewood in week 2, and a series of close losses followed in a grueling ordeal of a season that could have ended at 13-3 quite easily.
Enter Portland - another team that had tasted success last season and has made steady gains under the direction of owner Modus_operandi and GM LSU. The Hitmen lost a big piece of their defensive puzzle when Brien Orakpo left a7 on day 1, but retained most of a high scoring offense and the rest of a much improved defense. Drubbings at the hands of Oakland and Spicewood notwithstanding, the Hitmen have fared similarly to their week 14 opponents - losing close contests with Albuquerque, Silverymoon, Grand Haven, Buffalo, and San Diego - only 2 of those games decided by more than a field goal, and none by more than a touchdown.
This was the Heartbreak Bowl, the matchup that would determine which team would live to fight another day, and which one would be spending the playoffs scrimming bottom tier East teams coming off of another demoralizing close loss. On this day, the Heartbreak Bowl was won by Tuscon.
Portland entered the second quarter with a 7-0 lead and the Tuscon nighthawks in scoring position, but Bodie Dale made a huge play near the goal line, intercepting Stonewall Gunner and running it back 83 yards to give the Hitmen a 14-0 advantage. An efficient drive by Tuscon followed, but stalled inside the Portland 11 and Tuscon only would have 3 points to show from 2 visits to the Hitmen redzone. When another efficient Portland drive struck paydirt on Ricky Flash's plunge across the goal line, Portland had a 21-3 lead and appeared ready to run Tuscon out of the stadium. Rather than quitting (Are you LISTENING Georgia Bulldogs??), the Nighthawks embarked on a long drive of their own, and 3:38 later had cut the Portland lead to 21-10. when the defense tightened up and held Portland's final drive of the first half to only a field goal, all was still not lost for the Nighthawks.
While the first half was owned by Portland, the second belonged to Tuscon. Stonewall Gunner found Neon Bodeaux early in the 3rd for a 49 yard streak to the promised land, and 2 plays later Tuscon had the ball again after their defense - pushovers in the first half - snagged a Johnny Danger pass and returned it to the Portland 23. Though tuscon only could come away with a field goal, the 14 point first half deficit had been cut to 4. Another huge stand by the defense put the ball back in the hands of Gunner, and he answered the bell directing a 78 yard drive, this time taking matters into his own hands and getting his team into the endzone with a surgical strike to Eric Roy for Tuscon's first lead of the afternoon.
The two teams would continue to trade scores, each matching the other blow for blow, until with 1:55 to go in the game, Johnny Danger found Fletcher Knight to make it 38-37 Portland. As Tuscon fans breathed a collective 'here we go again', Stonewall Gunner, as he had all game, pulled 1 final rabbit out of his hat. He found See-you-in-your-End-zone all alone behind the coverage, and although Dang Fool dragged him down before he could see-Portland-in-their-End-zone, Blah Dow did the rest, going 13 yards on 3 carries and giving Tuscon the first lead that they wouldn't relinquish - 44-38.
Going Forward
Tuscon, with their win over Portland, has now all but guaranteed their place in the playoffs. Barring the upset of the year by the Bay Area Bombers, even if Portland goes 2-0 they will not be able to jump Tuscon now that they have the tiebreaker despite an expected loss to Alpine in week 16. With all the heartbreak of their season, Tuscon was given yet another chance to be royally screwed after drawing the first place team from the East while Portland drew Athens, but the win today helped their karma somewhat.
A monumental game looms for week 15 between #1 Oakland and #3 Spicewood. This result will most likely decide which of 4 teams vying for the top spot will receive homefield advantage throughout the playoffs - and incidentally, Tuscon's first round opponent. It sets up as a duel between A7's most prolific aerial scorers - Spicewood QB Hugh Laurie and Oakland trigger man Cody Wilson - but look for two underrated defenses to try and have their say in what should be an awesome game.
Another intriguing matchup is on the cards between #4 Silverymoon and #7 Buffalo, as Silverymoon looks to stay in the mix for first seed and avoid the upset here. Buffalo with a win is still mathematically eliminated from reaching one of the top 4 seeds, however. A Silverymoon win in this game unfortunately won't help Portland, as Buffalo even if it lost both to the Elves and the Grizzlies from the East would only drop to 9-7, and thus would still have a 1 game advantage.
Western Conference Results, Week 14
Oakland Wizards > San Antonio Syndicate, 119-0
Buffalo Rangers > Los Angeles Ice Drakes, 202-0
Tuscon Nighthawks > Portland Hitmen, 44-38
Spicewood Longhorns > Austin Lumberjacks, 139-0
Kansas City Predators > Dallas Red Raiders, 44-24
San Diego Marauders > Bay Area Bombers, 67-21
Silverymoon Elves > Miami Cyclones, 140-0
Albuquerque Mustangs > Grand Haven Mist, 37-14
---
Final Analysis:
Albuquerque Mustangs > Grand Haven Mist, 37-14
Grand Haven's been the talk of the Western Conference in season 5, announcing their arrival to the ranks of the contenders with stunning upsets over 4 more talented squads. Buffalo, Pre-gut Austin, Tuscon, and Portland all fell to the Mist's shrewd gameplanning and aggressive playcalling, but in their last game they ran into a Spicewood unit determined to avoid the mistakes that had doomed their contemporaries, ending a 4 game win streak. This week they faced an angry Mustangs team coming off of a loss to Grand Haven's first victims - the Buffalo Rangers. This set up as an intriguing clash with massive playoff implications. Spicewood, Oakland, and Silverymoon fans all had their eyes on this game, hoping for a Mustangs slip up that could open up the logjam that is the fight for first place.
What they got was an impressive bounce back from a determined Albuquerque unit that hasn't lost back to back games in over 2 seasons. Grand Haven is the ultimate defensive football team. They match up with higher level opposition by playing a ferocious brand of defense. The keys to them were always going to be to win the turnover battle and to limit the big plays. Unfortunately, Albuquerque's quarterback duo of Mark Gamble and Spiel Mannsfluch were ruthlessly efficient. Their combined 452 yards and 3 touchdowns - and importantly lack of interceptions - overcame an anemic rushing effort and allowed them to keep the scoreboard ticking. The Mustangs also made more than their fair share of big plays.
Grand Haven defensive coordinator lukin82 is something of a maniac when it comes to defensive schemes, and he rolled the dice against the Mustang running game, meeting the offset I formations with a goal line set. The ploy worked as intended against the Mustang's rushing attack, but gave up several crucial passing plays out of those formations, most notably the 73 yard connection from Gamble to Titanium Fist that got the Mustangs' scoring machine moving.
The Mist defense played their hearts out, limiting albuquerque to less than a tenth of a yard per rush and accumulating 7 sacks, but were only able to create 1 turnover and were gouged aerially. Their counterparts, on the other hand, had a significantly easier task in slowing down the struggling Mist offensive unit. Grand Haven too could not move the football on the ground, although there appeared to be a serious lack of trying - the Grand Haven backs combined for only 15 rushes. Part of that probably had to do with having to play catchup, but Grand Haven was in the game for the first 2 and a half quarters and still seemed to have given up all semblance of offensive balance. It was a shrewd gameplan, but ultimately too many wide open incompletions combined with some excellent coverage and pressure from Albuquerque would be its undoing. Albuquerque controlled the game and avoided the upset with a 37-14 victory.
Tuscon Nighthawks > Portland Hitmen, 44-38
This was unquestionably the biggest game of week 14 - a crucial tilt between the 8th and 9th place teams in the standings for the 8th and final playoff spot. The game did not disappoint, either, a high scoring barnburner between two talented football teams that haven't been able to catch a break this year.
Tuscon came into the season with high hopes, fresh off of a BBB13 championship and brimming with confidence after seeing how fellow 13 moveups Silverymoon and Austin had acquitted themselves in prior seasons. The league looked forward to Mr.Moses's mocking poetry almost as much as seeing if they could match the success of Austin from a year ago. Instead, Tuscon ran into a buzzsaw in Spicewood in week 2, and a series of close losses followed in a grueling ordeal of a season that could have ended at 13-3 quite easily.
Enter Portland - another team that had tasted success last season and has made steady gains under the direction of owner Modus_operandi and GM LSU. The Hitmen lost a big piece of their defensive puzzle when Brien Orakpo left a7 on day 1, but retained most of a high scoring offense and the rest of a much improved defense. Drubbings at the hands of Oakland and Spicewood notwithstanding, the Hitmen have fared similarly to their week 14 opponents - losing close contests with Albuquerque, Silverymoon, Grand Haven, Buffalo, and San Diego - only 2 of those games decided by more than a field goal, and none by more than a touchdown.
This was the Heartbreak Bowl, the matchup that would determine which team would live to fight another day, and which one would be spending the playoffs scrimming bottom tier East teams coming off of another demoralizing close loss. On this day, the Heartbreak Bowl was won by Tuscon.
Portland entered the second quarter with a 7-0 lead and the Tuscon nighthawks in scoring position, but Bodie Dale made a huge play near the goal line, intercepting Stonewall Gunner and running it back 83 yards to give the Hitmen a 14-0 advantage. An efficient drive by Tuscon followed, but stalled inside the Portland 11 and Tuscon only would have 3 points to show from 2 visits to the Hitmen redzone. When another efficient Portland drive struck paydirt on Ricky Flash's plunge across the goal line, Portland had a 21-3 lead and appeared ready to run Tuscon out of the stadium. Rather than quitting (Are you LISTENING Georgia Bulldogs??), the Nighthawks embarked on a long drive of their own, and 3:38 later had cut the Portland lead to 21-10. when the defense tightened up and held Portland's final drive of the first half to only a field goal, all was still not lost for the Nighthawks.
While the first half was owned by Portland, the second belonged to Tuscon. Stonewall Gunner found Neon Bodeaux early in the 3rd for a 49 yard streak to the promised land, and 2 plays later Tuscon had the ball again after their defense - pushovers in the first half - snagged a Johnny Danger pass and returned it to the Portland 23. Though tuscon only could come away with a field goal, the 14 point first half deficit had been cut to 4. Another huge stand by the defense put the ball back in the hands of Gunner, and he answered the bell directing a 78 yard drive, this time taking matters into his own hands and getting his team into the endzone with a surgical strike to Eric Roy for Tuscon's first lead of the afternoon.
The two teams would continue to trade scores, each matching the other blow for blow, until with 1:55 to go in the game, Johnny Danger found Fletcher Knight to make it 38-37 Portland. As Tuscon fans breathed a collective 'here we go again', Stonewall Gunner, as he had all game, pulled 1 final rabbit out of his hat. He found See-you-in-your-End-zone all alone behind the coverage, and although Dang Fool dragged him down before he could see-Portland-in-their-End-zone, Blah Dow did the rest, going 13 yards on 3 carries and giving Tuscon the first lead that they wouldn't relinquish - 44-38.
Going Forward
Tuscon, with their win over Portland, has now all but guaranteed their place in the playoffs. Barring the upset of the year by the Bay Area Bombers, even if Portland goes 2-0 they will not be able to jump Tuscon now that they have the tiebreaker despite an expected loss to Alpine in week 16. With all the heartbreak of their season, Tuscon was given yet another chance to be royally screwed after drawing the first place team from the East while Portland drew Athens, but the win today helped their karma somewhat.
A monumental game looms for week 15 between #1 Oakland and #3 Spicewood. This result will most likely decide which of 4 teams vying for the top spot will receive homefield advantage throughout the playoffs - and incidentally, Tuscon's first round opponent. It sets up as a duel between A7's most prolific aerial scorers - Spicewood QB Hugh Laurie and Oakland trigger man Cody Wilson - but look for two underrated defenses to try and have their say in what should be an awesome game.
Another intriguing matchup is on the cards between #4 Silverymoon and #7 Buffalo, as Silverymoon looks to stay in the mix for first seed and avoid the upset here. Buffalo with a win is still mathematically eliminated from reaching one of the top 4 seeds, however. A Silverymoon win in this game unfortunately won't help Portland, as Buffalo even if it lost both to the Elves and the Grizzlies from the East would only drop to 9-7, and thus would still have a 1 game advantage.
Last edited Oct 17, 2008 14:41:34
