AllTalents writeup is in regular text, my comments are in italics.
1. (0) Amsterdam Smugglers 8-0
The Smugglers are perfect through the first half of the season which is no big suprise. They are very clearly the best team in Zeta and every other team is struggling to catch up. Their week 15 game against the Blaze lost some of its luster after the Blaze fell in a one-sided game against the Matadors, a team that Amsterdam beat by 24. The smart money is on their acheiving the perfect season which would be the first of its kind in Zeta's short history. They open the second half with four straight games against some of the worst in the conference, so expect to see some big numbers leading up to the release of the Pro Bowl voting post week 12.
I really can't see the smugglers losing to anyone this season, they have too much to give any team. My biggest concern is that Alpha is the better conference in my opinion overall, but i dont think the Vikings can hang with the Smugglers total package
2. (+1) Madrid Matadors 7-1
Behind the strength of a great home crowd, the Matadors stunned the Blaze with an intensity that Barcelona just couldn't match. The Matadors held the Blaze to a season low in points and total yardage. They completely shut them out of the endzone enroute to reaching it 4 times themselves. It was easily the second biggest win in Franchise history after their lone playoff victory and now the race for the second playoff seed is between the Sharks and the Matadors. They need to figure out how to take that intensity on the road in week 9 though as they take on a Lexington team that is desperate for a marquee win. If they can take care of business there, they'll have two easy games games at home before they face off against the Sharks in what could decide who gets home field advantage through the first two rounds. First things first though, the Metalheads are waiting to trip them up before they can ever reach Mannheim.
the mantadors have a lot to prove to people based on past performances. They have exceeded many peoples expectations for their season. My concern is like another playoff bound team in this conference they have no passing game to speak of, and have 3 QB's, 2 of which probably wouldnt even come close to taking snap on most teams. Any team able to stop the run will give the Madrid too much to handed
3. (+1) Mannheim Sharks 7-1
Mannheim got a nice tune-up against the CPU Scorpions before a huge match-up with the Blaze. They have been strong thus far but they really haven't played any quality opponents besides the Smugglers (a loss) and Nashua (a win). In their final 8 games, they only have two easy ones left, Paris and Natal. They look like contenders right now but that could change quickly with games against Barcelona and Lexington due up. They are the underdogs on paper as they head to Barcelona to take on the Blaze, so it is going to take some solid game planning for the Sharks to keep their hopes for the number 2 seed alive. The fans in Mannheim will have a chance to see what their beloved Sharks are made of this week, so we'll see what kind of performance they deliver.
The Sharks secondary deserves attention. They have 12 interceptions and 5 of them run back for touchdowns, add a better than average PD total and they are toug on passing teams. Match this up with a very lean 81 yards on the ground, their defense is going to keep them in home playoff spot contention
4. (+1) Indianapolis Stampede 6-2
The Stampede won a nice game against Nashua and have an easy game against Zagreb due up next. Beyond that I think they will have a tough time hanging onto this number 4 ranking and only really jumped up here after the severity of Barcelona's loss. I find Greystone's proposal that the problem in their passing game may actually be found in the play of their QB rather than the lack of a big play guy in the receiving corps intriguing and there is probably a lot of truth to it, but it seems like for better or worse, the Stampede coaching staff have backed Adita as their guy since day 1. Either way, they are going to need to make some upgrades if they want to hang onto a home playoff game and be in contention to make the Conference Championship game let alone the League Championshio.
Stampede are a good team on the offensive side of the ball, but they need to do somethin about there monofocused offense. Their o-line must be given a little credit though, they havent allowed a sack and only 11 hurries all season. Their defense just doesnt have the levels that other teams do which could be exploited more now that the level cap has raised
5. (-3) Barcelona Blaze 6-2
What a shocker. The Blaze just couldn't get anything going in Matador Stadium and really layed an egg in a big game in terms of how season 7 is going to work out. It is far from the end of their season though, they are still in contention for a home playoff game and they still have some tough games left on the schedule. It is pretty clear that the Blaze are a playoff team but their seed is far from determined. They still have games against the Sharks, Stampede, Mammoths, Empire and Smugglers. Winning 4 out of those 5 games will land them a home playoff game and it all starts this week. We'll see what kind of character this team is made up of and how they bounce back after a tough loss in another big game against the Sharks in week 9. Landing a home playoff game is every serious teams goal for the regular season, so we'll find out just how serious the Blaze are in the second half of the season.
The Blaze loss was quite a shocker for just about everyone watching the game including Vegas. Again this is a tale of defense, they dont put enough pressure on the passing game, but not to be complete forgoten they only give up 86 yards on the ground. They have one of the best balanced offenses in the league with 5th and 3rd rankings in rushing and passing respectively.
6. (0) Western Roman Empire 6-2
Week 9 is here and the Empire face what is probably the most pivotal game of Franchise history. There are realistically only 9 teams in contention for the playoffs and right now Western Rome is in. That doesn't mean they'll be in the same position 8 games from now. They have 6 losable games out of the last 8 and going 8-8 could mean they are left watching the playoffs for the second straight season. If they win this week though, they put even more distance between themselves and the team that is currently the team that is the outside looking in, Nashua. Western Rome is a testament to good game planning trumping pure talent and we'll see exactly how far that is going to take them in a final 8 games but I continue to stand by my prediction that they will be in the post season mix and possibly even pull a few upsets a long the way.
The Empire in my opinion has one of the least talked about offenses that is quality. They rank respectable in both rushing and passing and i dont think people have realized this. Also, some might look at the Empires conference leading tackles and 3rd rakning in PD's as a sign of a good defense. I have to disagree this to me is a sign of an defense that isnt playing aggressive enough. They are allowing plays to be executed but not go for extra yards, but they still allows of over 300 yards a game on average. Same with the secondary, they are knocking the ball down but the lack of interceptions makes me doubt its not skill but lack of a DC wanting to be overly agressive
7. (0) Jersey Mammoths 6-2
The Mammoths will crush the Ligers this upcoming week in a similar fashion that they pounded Porto in week 8. Jersey has to have their eyes on a home playoff spot themselves, so they'll need to pick up W's in their next 3 games before entering a very tough final 5 game stretch. They have the Blaze, then the Metalheads getting a nice break with Paris sandwhiched in between that and their final two games that are against the Matadors and Sharks. The Mammoths are another playoff team that need a win against Nashua in two weeks so they can keep that distance between themselves and the 9th spot just as much as they are trying to gain some ground on the 4th seed. Their destiny is very much in their own hands though, so we'll see what kind of second half push they put together.
AT i agree with your placement of this team, i have concerns. This team is 8th place in winning point differential at about 20, but only averaging 47 points a game, not sure they can shoot it out with the potent offenses in the upper tiers of this conference. They have 4 easier teams to play and 4 playoff bound teams to play. They can possible lose to the Blaze, Sharks, and Matadors, but a lose to the metalheads combines with losing the three i listed above will almost doubtedly land them in 8th place. I dont see them dropping lower than that as the Elves who currently are in 9th place had a tough schedule to play
8. (0) Lexington Metalheads 5-3
The heads are coming off their second 2 game win streak of the season but will be hard pressed to make it their first 3 game win streak with a week 9 match-up with the Matadors. Now is the time to make any acquisitions they were looking at making to inject life back into their Championship hopes. A win here would alter the playoff landscape in Zeta and really open things up for teams that are looking for the financial boon of hosting a first round playoff game. They seem to have a similar trajectory as the Dallas Cowboys right now though as they looked strong in the preseason but don't always live up to expectation from week to week. They have a chance to write their own history though as they have 6 of the top 8 teams left on the schedule. So there is still time and opportunity to prove that they were the elite team that I predicted them to be preseason.
This team i also had high praise for preseason AT, this team needs to make use of the level cap raise. Signing a play making WR, preferrably two, will take some pressure of Xavier and force DC's vary up their defense which cna open up wholes for their running game, and let them overcome 3rd and long situations that they have problems with when forced to go to the run. I have faith in this teams quarterback, but i think they need to beef up the roster to do this, if they do add a passing attack to their offense, this team could make a serious run toward 4th-5th seed
Fixed error in stats with Stampede -Grey
Copyright © 2008 GoalLineBlitz.com, all rights reserved. Goal Line Blitz is not affiliated with the NFL or any other professional football league. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
1. (0) Amsterdam Smugglers 8-0
The Smugglers are perfect through the first half of the season which is no big suprise. They are very clearly the best team in Zeta and every other team is struggling to catch up. Their week 15 game against the Blaze lost some of its luster after the Blaze fell in a one-sided game against the Matadors, a team that Amsterdam beat by 24. The smart money is on their acheiving the perfect season which would be the first of its kind in Zeta's short history. They open the second half with four straight games against some of the worst in the conference, so expect to see some big numbers leading up to the release of the Pro Bowl voting post week 12.
I really can't see the smugglers losing to anyone this season, they have too much to give any team. My biggest concern is that Alpha is the better conference in my opinion overall, but i dont think the Vikings can hang with the Smugglers total package
2. (+1) Madrid Matadors 7-1
Behind the strength of a great home crowd, the Matadors stunned the Blaze with an intensity that Barcelona just couldn't match. The Matadors held the Blaze to a season low in points and total yardage. They completely shut them out of the endzone enroute to reaching it 4 times themselves. It was easily the second biggest win in Franchise history after their lone playoff victory and now the race for the second playoff seed is between the Sharks and the Matadors. They need to figure out how to take that intensity on the road in week 9 though as they take on a Lexington team that is desperate for a marquee win. If they can take care of business there, they'll have two easy games games at home before they face off against the Sharks in what could decide who gets home field advantage through the first two rounds. First things first though, the Metalheads are waiting to trip them up before they can ever reach Mannheim.
the mantadors have a lot to prove to people based on past performances. They have exceeded many peoples expectations for their season. My concern is like another playoff bound team in this conference they have no passing game to speak of, and have 3 QB's, 2 of which probably wouldnt even come close to taking snap on most teams. Any team able to stop the run will give the Madrid too much to handed
3. (+1) Mannheim Sharks 7-1
Mannheim got a nice tune-up against the CPU Scorpions before a huge match-up with the Blaze. They have been strong thus far but they really haven't played any quality opponents besides the Smugglers (a loss) and Nashua (a win). In their final 8 games, they only have two easy ones left, Paris and Natal. They look like contenders right now but that could change quickly with games against Barcelona and Lexington due up. They are the underdogs on paper as they head to Barcelona to take on the Blaze, so it is going to take some solid game planning for the Sharks to keep their hopes for the number 2 seed alive. The fans in Mannheim will have a chance to see what their beloved Sharks are made of this week, so we'll see what kind of performance they deliver.
The Sharks secondary deserves attention. They have 12 interceptions and 5 of them run back for touchdowns, add a better than average PD total and they are toug on passing teams. Match this up with a very lean 81 yards on the ground, their defense is going to keep them in home playoff spot contention
4. (+1) Indianapolis Stampede 6-2
The Stampede won a nice game against Nashua and have an easy game against Zagreb due up next. Beyond that I think they will have a tough time hanging onto this number 4 ranking and only really jumped up here after the severity of Barcelona's loss. I find Greystone's proposal that the problem in their passing game may actually be found in the play of their QB rather than the lack of a big play guy in the receiving corps intriguing and there is probably a lot of truth to it, but it seems like for better or worse, the Stampede coaching staff have backed Adita as their guy since day 1. Either way, they are going to need to make some upgrades if they want to hang onto a home playoff game and be in contention to make the Conference Championship game let alone the League Championshio.
Stampede are a good team on the offensive side of the ball, but they need to do somethin about there monofocused offense. Their o-line must be given a little credit though, they havent allowed a sack and only 11 hurries all season. Their defense just doesnt have the levels that other teams do which could be exploited more now that the level cap has raised
5. (-3) Barcelona Blaze 6-2
What a shocker. The Blaze just couldn't get anything going in Matador Stadium and really layed an egg in a big game in terms of how season 7 is going to work out. It is far from the end of their season though, they are still in contention for a home playoff game and they still have some tough games left on the schedule. It is pretty clear that the Blaze are a playoff team but their seed is far from determined. They still have games against the Sharks, Stampede, Mammoths, Empire and Smugglers. Winning 4 out of those 5 games will land them a home playoff game and it all starts this week. We'll see what kind of character this team is made up of and how they bounce back after a tough loss in another big game against the Sharks in week 9. Landing a home playoff game is every serious teams goal for the regular season, so we'll find out just how serious the Blaze are in the second half of the season.
The Blaze loss was quite a shocker for just about everyone watching the game including Vegas. Again this is a tale of defense, they dont put enough pressure on the passing game, but not to be complete forgoten they only give up 86 yards on the ground. They have one of the best balanced offenses in the league with 5th and 3rd rankings in rushing and passing respectively.
6. (0) Western Roman Empire 6-2
Week 9 is here and the Empire face what is probably the most pivotal game of Franchise history. There are realistically only 9 teams in contention for the playoffs and right now Western Rome is in. That doesn't mean they'll be in the same position 8 games from now. They have 6 losable games out of the last 8 and going 8-8 could mean they are left watching the playoffs for the second straight season. If they win this week though, they put even more distance between themselves and the team that is currently the team that is the outside looking in, Nashua. Western Rome is a testament to good game planning trumping pure talent and we'll see exactly how far that is going to take them in a final 8 games but I continue to stand by my prediction that they will be in the post season mix and possibly even pull a few upsets a long the way.
The Empire in my opinion has one of the least talked about offenses that is quality. They rank respectable in both rushing and passing and i dont think people have realized this. Also, some might look at the Empires conference leading tackles and 3rd rakning in PD's as a sign of a good defense. I have to disagree this to me is a sign of an defense that isnt playing aggressive enough. They are allowing plays to be executed but not go for extra yards, but they still allows of over 300 yards a game on average. Same with the secondary, they are knocking the ball down but the lack of interceptions makes me doubt its not skill but lack of a DC wanting to be overly agressive
7. (0) Jersey Mammoths 6-2
The Mammoths will crush the Ligers this upcoming week in a similar fashion that they pounded Porto in week 8. Jersey has to have their eyes on a home playoff spot themselves, so they'll need to pick up W's in their next 3 games before entering a very tough final 5 game stretch. They have the Blaze, then the Metalheads getting a nice break with Paris sandwhiched in between that and their final two games that are against the Matadors and Sharks. The Mammoths are another playoff team that need a win against Nashua in two weeks so they can keep that distance between themselves and the 9th spot just as much as they are trying to gain some ground on the 4th seed. Their destiny is very much in their own hands though, so we'll see what kind of second half push they put together.
AT i agree with your placement of this team, i have concerns. This team is 8th place in winning point differential at about 20, but only averaging 47 points a game, not sure they can shoot it out with the potent offenses in the upper tiers of this conference. They have 4 easier teams to play and 4 playoff bound teams to play. They can possible lose to the Blaze, Sharks, and Matadors, but a lose to the metalheads combines with losing the three i listed above will almost doubtedly land them in 8th place. I dont see them dropping lower than that as the Elves who currently are in 9th place had a tough schedule to play
8. (0) Lexington Metalheads 5-3
The heads are coming off their second 2 game win streak of the season but will be hard pressed to make it their first 3 game win streak with a week 9 match-up with the Matadors. Now is the time to make any acquisitions they were looking at making to inject life back into their Championship hopes. A win here would alter the playoff landscape in Zeta and really open things up for teams that are looking for the financial boon of hosting a first round playoff game. They seem to have a similar trajectory as the Dallas Cowboys right now though as they looked strong in the preseason but don't always live up to expectation from week to week. They have a chance to write their own history though as they have 6 of the top 8 teams left on the schedule. So there is still time and opportunity to prove that they were the elite team that I predicted them to be preseason.
This team i also had high praise for preseason AT, this team needs to make use of the level cap raise. Signing a play making WR, preferrably two, will take some pressure of Xavier and force DC's vary up their defense which cna open up wholes for their running game, and let them overcome 3rd and long situations that they have problems with when forced to go to the run. I have faith in this teams quarterback, but i think they need to beef up the roster to do this, if they do add a passing attack to their offense, this team could make a serious run toward 4th-5th seed
Fixed error in stats with Stampede -Grey
Copyright © 2008 GoalLineBlitz.com, all rights reserved. Goal Line Blitz is not affiliated with the NFL or any other professional football league. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
Last edited Jan 18, 2009 09:13:02
its not easy doing this for 16 teams
