Recap of Round 1 Action:
Round 1 pretty much went as expected except for two notable games:
- In the game that had the highest upset potential (remember, the classification of an upset is the lower seed beating the higher seed), the Tallaght Outlaws went into Fehérvár Enthroners' stadium and held them to without a single score and less than 200 yards of total offense, exacting sweet revenge for their Week 14 loss and knocking them out of the playoffs at the same time.
- I gave the Volgograd Berserks a 50/50 chance to pull off the upset over the Tricity Hares and they did just that, nailing two 4th quarter field goals to put the game away and send the Hares packing. By and large, the Berserks simply outplayed the Hares, sending a clear message that they are not to be taken lightly as the playoffs move forward.
- In the rest of the league, the Krakow Cows, Dallas Smoke Stacks, Minsk Ninjas, Odessa Falcons, London Head Hunters, and Warsaw Warriors all took care of business and moved forward to Round 2.
And now, on to the Round 2 matchups:
Alpha Conference
1. Krakow Cows (17-0) vs. 5. Tallaght Outlaws (12-5)
Previous Matchup: Week 1, Cows won 24-10.
Commentary: Neither of these teams are the same as they were when they first met up and that might actually be a problem for the Outlaws because the Cows are currently on a 17-game winning streak, and have put away the best teams in Alpha. The Outlaws are not to be underestimated though as they could easily pull off the upset if the Cows make too many mistakes.
Upset Potential: 5/10
2. Dallas Smoke Stacks (15-2) vs. 3. Minsk Ninjas (15-2)
Previous Matchup: Week 8, Smoke Stacks 30-9.
Commentary: Dallas is in the midst of a 14-game winning streak with one of those wins coming at the expense of the Ninjas. Expect a motivated Minsk team to seek revenge as they go into Smoke Stack Stadium hoping to pull out the win they need to make it into the conference championship. Both of these teams are powerhouses so it really could go either way.
Upset Potential: 5/10
Zeta Conference
1. Odessa Falcons (17-0) vs. 4. London Head Hunters (14-3)
Previous Matchup: Week 10, Falcons won 20-6.
Commentary: Like the Cows, the Falcons have met all comers head on and streaked into the playoffs on a 17-game winning streak. The Head Hunters, however, are a team with something to prove as their only 3 losses on the season came against the top 3 teams in Zeta, one of which isn't in the running anymore. Despite the realtively low score of their previous encounter, the Falcons controlled the game from beginning to end so unless they Head Hunters can get a few long drives converted over to Touchdowns, they don't stand a chance.
Upset Potential: 2/10
2. Warsaw Warriors (16-1) vs. 6 Volgograd Berserks (11-6)
Previous Matchup: Week 7, Warriors won 21-0.
Commentary: Despite the Berserks win over the Tricity Hares, one can't see how they could do much to stop the Warriors, whose only loss on the season came against #1 ranked Odessa Falcons. The previous meeting was highlighted by several Berserks turnovers, a feat that the Warriors are hoping to match as they look forward to getting into the Conference Finals.
Upset Potential: 1/10
Round 1 pretty much went as expected except for two notable games:
- In the game that had the highest upset potential (remember, the classification of an upset is the lower seed beating the higher seed), the Tallaght Outlaws went into Fehérvár Enthroners' stadium and held them to without a single score and less than 200 yards of total offense, exacting sweet revenge for their Week 14 loss and knocking them out of the playoffs at the same time.
- I gave the Volgograd Berserks a 50/50 chance to pull off the upset over the Tricity Hares and they did just that, nailing two 4th quarter field goals to put the game away and send the Hares packing. By and large, the Berserks simply outplayed the Hares, sending a clear message that they are not to be taken lightly as the playoffs move forward.
- In the rest of the league, the Krakow Cows, Dallas Smoke Stacks, Minsk Ninjas, Odessa Falcons, London Head Hunters, and Warsaw Warriors all took care of business and moved forward to Round 2.
And now, on to the Round 2 matchups:
Alpha Conference
1. Krakow Cows (17-0) vs. 5. Tallaght Outlaws (12-5)
Previous Matchup: Week 1, Cows won 24-10.
Commentary: Neither of these teams are the same as they were when they first met up and that might actually be a problem for the Outlaws because the Cows are currently on a 17-game winning streak, and have put away the best teams in Alpha. The Outlaws are not to be underestimated though as they could easily pull off the upset if the Cows make too many mistakes.
Upset Potential: 5/10
2. Dallas Smoke Stacks (15-2) vs. 3. Minsk Ninjas (15-2)
Previous Matchup: Week 8, Smoke Stacks 30-9.
Commentary: Dallas is in the midst of a 14-game winning streak with one of those wins coming at the expense of the Ninjas. Expect a motivated Minsk team to seek revenge as they go into Smoke Stack Stadium hoping to pull out the win they need to make it into the conference championship. Both of these teams are powerhouses so it really could go either way.
Upset Potential: 5/10
Zeta Conference
1. Odessa Falcons (17-0) vs. 4. London Head Hunters (14-3)
Previous Matchup: Week 10, Falcons won 20-6.
Commentary: Like the Cows, the Falcons have met all comers head on and streaked into the playoffs on a 17-game winning streak. The Head Hunters, however, are a team with something to prove as their only 3 losses on the season came against the top 3 teams in Zeta, one of which isn't in the running anymore. Despite the realtively low score of their previous encounter, the Falcons controlled the game from beginning to end so unless they Head Hunters can get a few long drives converted over to Touchdowns, they don't stand a chance.
Upset Potential: 2/10
2. Warsaw Warriors (16-1) vs. 6 Volgograd Berserks (11-6)
Previous Matchup: Week 7, Warriors won 21-0.
Commentary: Despite the Berserks win over the Tricity Hares, one can't see how they could do much to stop the Warriors, whose only loss on the season came against #1 ranked Odessa Falcons. The previous meeting was highlighted by several Berserks turnovers, a feat that the Warriors are hoping to match as they look forward to getting into the Conference Finals.
Upset Potential: 1/10
. All in all it looks like our game is one to watch this week.
