Season 3 Week 3 Rankings for USA #7 (Western Conference)
I could use some help doing these, so if any of the owners/GM's or even people on the team could PM me what you thought went right and wrong in your games (like what I've done here), it would save me a bunch of time. Thanks
Disclaimer: I am the owner of the New Brunswick n00bs and this is only my opinion based upon how the teams looked when I saw them
1. Silverymoon Elves
2. Waco Davidians
3. Great Plains Reapers
4. Las Vegas Stunners
5. New Brunswick n00bs
6. Buffalo Rangers
7. Portland Hitmen
8. Spicewood Longhorns
9. Oakland Wizards
10. Scottsdale Sun Demons
11. Dallas Red Raiders
12. Grand Haven Mist
13. Miami Cyclones
14. RGB Berzerk
15. Hartford Hellhounds
16. Carolina Bar Stars
1. Silverymoon Elves - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1663
What went right: Turnovers – The elves had a significant advantage in turnover margin (6-3) and capitalize significantly when many of Scottsdale’s turnovers were in the red zone. This game wouldn’t have been such a blowout if Scottsdale hadn’t turned over the ball so much, but you need to credit the elves’ opportunistic defense for preying on Scottsdale’s mistakes. If silverymoon can continue creating a turnover advantage for itself, they’ll be close to impossible to beat.
What went wrong: Fumbles – This was an extremely sloppy game and silverymoon was fortunate to come on the positive side of the game. A major area of concern is fumbles. The elves put the ball on the ground 4 times and were lucky to only lose the ball twice. It’s a bit disconcerting that the TEs lost the balls because it nullifies whatever gains they could have made catching the ball. The elves will need to fix this if they want to shore up all the chinks in their armor
Recent Game: W 40-3 vs Scottsdale
Record: 3-0
Previous Rank: 1
Next Game: vs Miami Cyclones
2. Waco Davidians - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1220
What went right: Pass Offense – The Davidian’s QB Hugh Laurie put up Peyton Manning-like numbers. Even though his percentage wasn’t extraordinarily high, the amount of long pass plays was astounding. Aided by an extraordinary corp of receivers, he was able to put up some quality numbers even though he was under some pressure during the game.
What went wrong: Big Time Butter Fingers – Thankfully the Davidians were playing Grand Haven, but their back had a major case of the butterfingers in this game, putting the ball on the ground and turning it over 3 times. Hopefully this problem will be fixed so that the Davidians will be running on all cylinders in their next two big-profile matchups.
Recent Game: W 44-3 vs Grand Haven
Record: 3-0
Previous Rank: 2
Next Game: at Las Vegas Stunners
3. Great Plains Reapers - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1212
Contributor: rj414
What went right: Passing game - Great Plains returned to a two headed quarterback system and found good success with it. Hayden Fry was under tremendous pressure all game long - hurried 10 times and sacked once - yet still managed to deliver the ball with his customary accuracy en route to a 250 yard, 2 td day. Tito ortiz chipped in with 5 completions for 55.6 yards, bringing GP's total over 300.
What went wrong: Running game - Great Plains was able to get next to nothing going on the ground in this game, averaging 1.9 yards a carry, against what is admittedly one of the better run defenses in the league.
Recent Game: W 35-10 vs Buffalo
Record: 3-0
Previous Rank: 3
Next Game: at Grand Haven Mists
4. Las Vegas Stunners - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1219
Contributor: sunderB
What went right: Balanced Offense – The Stunners’ offensive performance is an OC’s dream with half the yards coming on the ground and the other half through the air, both parts slicing through the opponent’s defense with ease. Their pass offense was run with extreme efficiency with an 81% completion rate to 9 different receivers (and no drops!!), while their run offense was consistent with a solid 4 yd/carry across the board with 2 backs.
What went wrong: Pass Defense – For all intents and purposes, the Stunners are lucky that the score wasn’t closer. Miami’s passing game had a field day and racked up an impressive 250 yds of offense through the air. The Stunners’ secondary didn’t do that much to prevent the aerial onslaught and were saved by the front seven who were able to stuff the box and prevent runs from going anywhere.
Recent Game: W 31-7 at Miami
Record: 3-0
Previous Rank: 4
Next Game: vs Waco Davidians
5. New Brunswick n00bs - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1210
Contributor: rj414
What went right: Kicker. David Allison continued to show why he's A7's premier kicker, blasting field goals of 42.5, 33, 43, and 40 yards with no misses. He also nailed both extra points, thus accounting for more than half of New Brunswick's scoring total.
What went wrong: Running game? It's rare that New Brunswick's running game is criticized, but it faltered today against the Portland defense. NB was saved by their new QB - who arrived in New Brunswick Monday morning, hurriedly stuffed himself into his uniform, ran out the tunnel and completed 78% of his passes - as well as Allison's heroics. New Brunswick still eclipsed 100 yards, but they were outgained by Portland overall and 2.6 yards a carry is unacceptable for a run first team. Recent Game: W 26-12 at Portland
Record: 3-0
Previous Rank: 7
Next Game: vs Hartford Hellhounds
6. Buffalo Rangers - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1702
Contributor: rj414
What went right: Run Defense. Buffalo was thoroughly outplayed in this game, but the lone bright spot was its normally stalwart run defense, which held Great Plains to 47.5 yards on 25 carries.
what went wrong: Where to begin? Buffalo committed 3 turnovers in this game, it's running game was neutered, and its passing game was barely effective. Their offense couldn’t stay on the field, and their secondary was abused despite the ferocious rush generated by the front 7. When you hurry the opposing quarterback 10 times and sack him once, yet still give up 300 yards, there's something wrong.
Recent Game: L 10-35 at Great Plains
Record: 1-2
Previous Rank: 5
Next Game: vs Dallas Red Raiders
7. Portland Hitmen - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1211
Contributor: rj414
What went right: Rush defense. The Hitmen were able to limit Greg Martin to 68.5 yards on 29 carries, and were able to actually average more per carry.
What went wrong: Turnovers. This game as a heavyweight fight - an old fashioned battle of field position and offensive efficiency, devoid of big plays and big scores. In such a game, committing 3 turnovers did Portland in by allowing New Brunswick a short field - and with the kicker New Brunswick has, all they have to do is get to the 35 and they're coming away with points.
Recent Game: L 12-26 vs New Brunswick
Record: 2-1
Previous Rank: 6
Next Game: vs Oakland Wizards
8. Spicewood Longhorns - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1214
What went right: Final Drive – In a surprisingly close game, Spicewood was able to pull out a miracle drive with around 2 minutes to go in the game to prevent a shocking upset. This drive was predicated purely on the passing game where their QB went 6/6 and gained 60 yards to orchestrate a virtuosic final drive. The Longhorns will need to play better though if they hope to win against tougher competition.
What went wrong: Missed Tackles – The Longhorn defense had a tremendous amount of trouble containing Awooga, allowing him to break 11 tackles and giving up valuable yardage. Fortunately for the Longhorns, RGB didn’t run Awooga that much and they were able to escape from this game just a little singed. However, the Longhorn defense may not be so lucky in future games, so they’ll need to fix this problem.
Recent Game: W 16-13 at RGB
Record: 2-1
Previous Rank: 8
Next Game: vs Scottsdale Sun Demons
9. Oakland Wizards - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1215
What went right: Run Defense – Oakland was able to stuff up the run causing Dallas to rely on its already fragile pass offense. This gamble paid off as the Red Raiders weren’t able to gain enough consistency through the air.
What went wrong: Turnovers – While they were fortunate that the Red Raiders never capitalized on the turnovers, it was a disturbing reversal of fortune from the week before. In order for Oakland to climb its way into the playoff picture, they’ll need to limit their turnovers.
Recent Game: W 23-0 vs Dallas
Record: 1-2
Previous Rank: 10
Next Game: at Portland Hitmen
10. Scottsdale Sun Demons - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1225
What went right: Punter – In a very sloppy game, Scottsdale’s most consistent player was their punter whose major boots helped to elongate the field for the silverymoon offense. If anything, the punter was the Sun Demons most effective defensive weapon. If he can continue this production, the Sun Demons will be able to gain the advantage in close games.
What went wrong: Tackling – The Sun Demons missed 16 tackles and in a game against one of the top teams, you can’t afford to do that. It was bad enough that the game was a turnover-fest for them, but the lack of tackling really hurt Scottsdale because it allowed the elves to move down the field pretty easily.
Recent Game: L 3-40 vs Silverymoon
Record: 1-2
Previous Rank: 9
Next Game: at Spicewood Longhorns
11. Dallas Red Raiders - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1217
What went right: No Turnovers – For the first game in a while, the Red Raiders were able to break through and avoid costly, head-banging turnovers. While other teams might expect to have no turnovers, Dallas was looking for a more mistake-free game which they got.
What went wrong: Run Offense – Unfortunately, the Red Raiders run offense got absolutely stuffed and really killed off many sustainable drives. The Red Raiders need to resuscitate their season quickly, or else it could be all over before it started. Being dealt a tough early schedule could be their downfall if they can’t find a way to balance out their offense and pull out a few wins.
Recent Game: L 0-23 at Oakland
Record: 0-3
Previous Rank: 11
Next Game: at Buffalo Rangers
12. Grand Haven Mist - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1222
What went right: Linebacking Corp – The linebacker corp did a respectable job trying to contain the Davidian running offense. While not ultimately successful, they were still able to give up major chunks of yardage on the ground due to solid tackling. They were also a bit opportunistic as well, forcing and recovering fumbles. With Mists’ defense anchored by this LB corp, their future could be pretty bright.
What went wrong: INTs – Overall, the passing offense wasn’t horrible considering that they were up against one of the premier defenses in the league, but their 3 INTs were pretty damaging and really wiped away the advantages that they created for themselves with the 4 forced fumble recoveries. If the Mists are able to cut down on their mistakes then they’ll be able to be much more competitive and potential surprise some teams.
Recent Game: L 3-44 at Waco
Record: 1-2
Previous Rank: 12
Next Game: vs Great Plains Reapers
13. Miami Cyclones - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1955
Contributor: sunderB
What went right: Pass Offense – Miami smartly leaned on their passing game and did a great deal of damage to the Stunners’ secondary. Unfortunately, they didn’t convert as much on their chances as they should have and they probably should have kept their starting QB in the game. Miami’s QBs were aided by receivers who didn’t drop the ball at all during the game. In this game Miami showed that it has a passing game that is to be feared.
What went wrong: Run Defense – In this pick-your poison type game, the Cyclones got burned by both the running and passing game, but the inability to stuff up the run caused this game to be a more lopsided affair than it should have been. The Miami front seven had a hard time bringing down either of Las Vegas’ backs. Miami will need to figure this out or else they’ll be put into grinder type games in which their offense has trouble succeeding in.
Recent Game: L 7-31 vs Las Vegas
Record: 0-3
Previous Rank: 13
Next Game: at Silverymoon Elves
14. RGB Berzerk - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1223
What went right: Pass Offense – For the first time, RGB debuted a potent pass offense that featured an over 70% completion rate, only one dropped pass and 1 TD pass. Even though the QBs were in a good amount of pressure with 9 total hurries, they only got intercepted once and drove down the field pretty easily.
What went wrong: O-line – There’s something fishy with an offensive line if the backs manage to break 13 tackles and yet only have a paltry 2.6 yd/carry to show for it. On top of that, the QBs were pressured all day, which could have led to more problems. RGB had better figure out how to get the most out of the offensive line because in this game the lack of points falls squarely on the O-line’s shoulders.
Recent Game: L 13-16 vs Spicewood
Record: 0-3
Previous Rank: 14
Next Game: at Carolina Bar Stars
15. Hartford Hellhounds - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1216
What went right: Pass Offense – This week seems to have sparked a passing revolution where multiple teams had tremendous success in their passing game. Hartford was no different as their QBs went an impressive 80% in completion rate and racked up over 250 yards through the air.
What went wrong: Pass Defense – With all things considered, the Hellhounds didn’t do horribly in this department, but they allowed Carolina to gain some major yardage through the air. Considering how outleveled Carolina was in this game, the Hellhounds better be sure to shore up their pass defense against the many pass happy teams in this conference.
Recent Game: W 37-3 vs Carolina
Record: 1-2
Previous Rank: 15
Next Game: at New Brunswick
16. Carolina Bar Stars - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=734
What went right: QB play – Carolina’s starting QB had a pretty dynamite game considering that he had tons of pressure on him and having his receivers drop 7 passes. If those 7 passes would have been caught, the QB would have had an extremely solid 75% completion rating. The fact that he didn’t have any INTs shows tremendous improvement. If the Stars’ receivers can get better, they could end up stealing a few wins here and there.
What went wrong: Defense – Hartford was pretty much able to march down the field with ease because the Stars had trouble containing both the run and pass offense that Hartford brought to this game. There’s not much that the Stars can do on this end of the ball because developing a defense is tough to do when you are outleveled by so much. Hopefully they’ll be able to take some positives out of this game and continue to build their team.
Recent Game: L 3-37 at Hartford
Record: 0-3
Previous Rank: 16
Next Game: vs RGB Berzerk
Offensive Player of the Week:
QB Hugh Laurie Waco – 27/43 (62.8% completion), 346 yds passing, 3 TDs, 0 INTs
Defensive Players of the Week:
SS Ng Pham Nyugen Silverymoon – 2 tackles, 1 PD, 2 INTs for 19 yds
Co-Special Teams Player of the Week:
CB Mike Thompson Waco – 4 PRs for 127 yds (31.8 yd/punt return) and a 76 yd punt return. Also had 3 tackles, 2 PDs, and 2 INTs for 2 yds.
P Pierna Gigante Scottsdale – 6 Punts for 241 yds (40.2 yds/punt!!)
Games of the Week:
Originally posted by Gold Star Game
#2 Waco at #4 Las Vegas
This marquee matchup will showcase two undefeated teams who are gunning for at least a home playoff spot. This game will tell us a lot about how the end of the season standings will shake out.
Prediction: Up until now Waco has had the tougher competition and has handled it with ease, while Las Vegas had a bit of trouble dispatching Scottsdale. It seems that Waco is more battle tested for this game and the Waco defense will give Las Vegas more than it can handle.
Predicted Score: 24-16 Waco
#6 Buffalo vs #11 Dallas
Both of these teams are experiencing something that they never experienced last season. Buffalo had only lost two games down in BBB (one of them in the league championship) and have never been on a two game losing streak. Meanwhile, even though Dallas started out 0-2 last season, they were able to put brakes on the skid and turn their season around. This time though, they’ve dropped 3 games and they weren’t that close in the end.
Prediction: If Dallas hopes to have a fighting chance to win its first game of the season, they’ll need to stop committing turnovers. Even though Dallas has more experience from bouncing back after a tough few games, I believe that Buffalo’s offense has too much power for the Red Raider defense to contain for 4 full quarters.
Predicted Score: 33-24 Buffalo
#7 Portland vs #9 Oakland
This game is a meeting of the past two victims of the revitalized New Brunswick n00bs. These teams will be jockeying for position to make the playoffs because it is going to be extremely close near the end of the season. This game could very well determine who’s in and who’s out. Portland will try to prove to the rest of the conference that it’s not just a pass happy team, while Oakland is out to prove that last season’s swoon and this season’s slow start are just an aberration and that they are a force to be reckoned with.
Prediction: The key of this game is going to be who can get into the endzone against the other team’s defense. Both of these teams struggled to do that against the n00bs, but Portland was still able to punch it in. So based upon those results, they should be able to do that to Oakland’s defense
Predicted Score: 21-13 Portland
#8 Spicewood vs # 10 Scottsdale
In another early de-facto play-in game, these two teams have already had their shares of disappointing losses and surprisingly close wins. Both these teams nosedived at the end of last season and while Spicewood was able to limp into the playoffs, while Scottsdale sat at home, Spicewood had dropped the match against Scottsdale earlier in the season.
Prediction: This game is a pretty much a toss-up. Their narrow losses against Portland and Las Vegas respectively showed that their defense could clamp down relatively well, but they’ll need their offense to perform. This one could very well come down to the kickers and will probably be a replay of last season with Scottsdale pulling out a squeaker.
Predicted Score: 16-13 Scottsdale
Current “Game of the Week” Record: 9-3
If you have a different opinion of the players of the week, have a “play of the week” or have a prediction of the “Game of the Week” post below. Let’s see how this season turns out and good luck in week 4
I could use some help doing these, so if any of the owners/GM's or even people on the team could PM me what you thought went right and wrong in your games (like what I've done here), it would save me a bunch of time. Thanks
Disclaimer: I am the owner of the New Brunswick n00bs and this is only my opinion based upon how the teams looked when I saw them
1. Silverymoon Elves
2. Waco Davidians
3. Great Plains Reapers
4. Las Vegas Stunners
5. New Brunswick n00bs
6. Buffalo Rangers
7. Portland Hitmen
8. Spicewood Longhorns
9. Oakland Wizards
10. Scottsdale Sun Demons
11. Dallas Red Raiders
12. Grand Haven Mist
13. Miami Cyclones
14. RGB Berzerk
15. Hartford Hellhounds
16. Carolina Bar Stars
1. Silverymoon Elves - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1663
What went right: Turnovers – The elves had a significant advantage in turnover margin (6-3) and capitalize significantly when many of Scottsdale’s turnovers were in the red zone. This game wouldn’t have been such a blowout if Scottsdale hadn’t turned over the ball so much, but you need to credit the elves’ opportunistic defense for preying on Scottsdale’s mistakes. If silverymoon can continue creating a turnover advantage for itself, they’ll be close to impossible to beat.
What went wrong: Fumbles – This was an extremely sloppy game and silverymoon was fortunate to come on the positive side of the game. A major area of concern is fumbles. The elves put the ball on the ground 4 times and were lucky to only lose the ball twice. It’s a bit disconcerting that the TEs lost the balls because it nullifies whatever gains they could have made catching the ball. The elves will need to fix this if they want to shore up all the chinks in their armor
Recent Game: W 40-3 vs Scottsdale
Record: 3-0
Previous Rank: 1
Next Game: vs Miami Cyclones
2. Waco Davidians - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1220
What went right: Pass Offense – The Davidian’s QB Hugh Laurie put up Peyton Manning-like numbers. Even though his percentage wasn’t extraordinarily high, the amount of long pass plays was astounding. Aided by an extraordinary corp of receivers, he was able to put up some quality numbers even though he was under some pressure during the game.
What went wrong: Big Time Butter Fingers – Thankfully the Davidians were playing Grand Haven, but their back had a major case of the butterfingers in this game, putting the ball on the ground and turning it over 3 times. Hopefully this problem will be fixed so that the Davidians will be running on all cylinders in their next two big-profile matchups.
Recent Game: W 44-3 vs Grand Haven
Record: 3-0
Previous Rank: 2
Next Game: at Las Vegas Stunners
3. Great Plains Reapers - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1212
Contributor: rj414
What went right: Passing game - Great Plains returned to a two headed quarterback system and found good success with it. Hayden Fry was under tremendous pressure all game long - hurried 10 times and sacked once - yet still managed to deliver the ball with his customary accuracy en route to a 250 yard, 2 td day. Tito ortiz chipped in with 5 completions for 55.6 yards, bringing GP's total over 300.
What went wrong: Running game - Great Plains was able to get next to nothing going on the ground in this game, averaging 1.9 yards a carry, against what is admittedly one of the better run defenses in the league.
Recent Game: W 35-10 vs Buffalo
Record: 3-0
Previous Rank: 3
Next Game: at Grand Haven Mists
4. Las Vegas Stunners - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1219
Contributor: sunderB
What went right: Balanced Offense – The Stunners’ offensive performance is an OC’s dream with half the yards coming on the ground and the other half through the air, both parts slicing through the opponent’s defense with ease. Their pass offense was run with extreme efficiency with an 81% completion rate to 9 different receivers (and no drops!!), while their run offense was consistent with a solid 4 yd/carry across the board with 2 backs.
What went wrong: Pass Defense – For all intents and purposes, the Stunners are lucky that the score wasn’t closer. Miami’s passing game had a field day and racked up an impressive 250 yds of offense through the air. The Stunners’ secondary didn’t do that much to prevent the aerial onslaught and were saved by the front seven who were able to stuff the box and prevent runs from going anywhere.
Recent Game: W 31-7 at Miami
Record: 3-0
Previous Rank: 4
Next Game: vs Waco Davidians
5. New Brunswick n00bs - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1210
Contributor: rj414
What went right: Kicker. David Allison continued to show why he's A7's premier kicker, blasting field goals of 42.5, 33, 43, and 40 yards with no misses. He also nailed both extra points, thus accounting for more than half of New Brunswick's scoring total.
What went wrong: Running game? It's rare that New Brunswick's running game is criticized, but it faltered today against the Portland defense. NB was saved by their new QB - who arrived in New Brunswick Monday morning, hurriedly stuffed himself into his uniform, ran out the tunnel and completed 78% of his passes - as well as Allison's heroics. New Brunswick still eclipsed 100 yards, but they were outgained by Portland overall and 2.6 yards a carry is unacceptable for a run first team. Recent Game: W 26-12 at Portland
Record: 3-0
Previous Rank: 7
Next Game: vs Hartford Hellhounds
6. Buffalo Rangers - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1702
Contributor: rj414
What went right: Run Defense. Buffalo was thoroughly outplayed in this game, but the lone bright spot was its normally stalwart run defense, which held Great Plains to 47.5 yards on 25 carries.
what went wrong: Where to begin? Buffalo committed 3 turnovers in this game, it's running game was neutered, and its passing game was barely effective. Their offense couldn’t stay on the field, and their secondary was abused despite the ferocious rush generated by the front 7. When you hurry the opposing quarterback 10 times and sack him once, yet still give up 300 yards, there's something wrong.
Recent Game: L 10-35 at Great Plains
Record: 1-2
Previous Rank: 5
Next Game: vs Dallas Red Raiders
7. Portland Hitmen - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1211
Contributor: rj414
What went right: Rush defense. The Hitmen were able to limit Greg Martin to 68.5 yards on 29 carries, and were able to actually average more per carry.
What went wrong: Turnovers. This game as a heavyweight fight - an old fashioned battle of field position and offensive efficiency, devoid of big plays and big scores. In such a game, committing 3 turnovers did Portland in by allowing New Brunswick a short field - and with the kicker New Brunswick has, all they have to do is get to the 35 and they're coming away with points.
Recent Game: L 12-26 vs New Brunswick
Record: 2-1
Previous Rank: 6
Next Game: vs Oakland Wizards
8. Spicewood Longhorns - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1214
What went right: Final Drive – In a surprisingly close game, Spicewood was able to pull out a miracle drive with around 2 minutes to go in the game to prevent a shocking upset. This drive was predicated purely on the passing game where their QB went 6/6 and gained 60 yards to orchestrate a virtuosic final drive. The Longhorns will need to play better though if they hope to win against tougher competition.
What went wrong: Missed Tackles – The Longhorn defense had a tremendous amount of trouble containing Awooga, allowing him to break 11 tackles and giving up valuable yardage. Fortunately for the Longhorns, RGB didn’t run Awooga that much and they were able to escape from this game just a little singed. However, the Longhorn defense may not be so lucky in future games, so they’ll need to fix this problem.
Recent Game: W 16-13 at RGB
Record: 2-1
Previous Rank: 8
Next Game: vs Scottsdale Sun Demons
9. Oakland Wizards - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1215
What went right: Run Defense – Oakland was able to stuff up the run causing Dallas to rely on its already fragile pass offense. This gamble paid off as the Red Raiders weren’t able to gain enough consistency through the air.
What went wrong: Turnovers – While they were fortunate that the Red Raiders never capitalized on the turnovers, it was a disturbing reversal of fortune from the week before. In order for Oakland to climb its way into the playoff picture, they’ll need to limit their turnovers.
Recent Game: W 23-0 vs Dallas
Record: 1-2
Previous Rank: 10
Next Game: at Portland Hitmen
10. Scottsdale Sun Demons - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1225
What went right: Punter – In a very sloppy game, Scottsdale’s most consistent player was their punter whose major boots helped to elongate the field for the silverymoon offense. If anything, the punter was the Sun Demons most effective defensive weapon. If he can continue this production, the Sun Demons will be able to gain the advantage in close games.
What went wrong: Tackling – The Sun Demons missed 16 tackles and in a game against one of the top teams, you can’t afford to do that. It was bad enough that the game was a turnover-fest for them, but the lack of tackling really hurt Scottsdale because it allowed the elves to move down the field pretty easily.
Recent Game: L 3-40 vs Silverymoon
Record: 1-2
Previous Rank: 9
Next Game: at Spicewood Longhorns
11. Dallas Red Raiders - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1217
What went right: No Turnovers – For the first game in a while, the Red Raiders were able to break through and avoid costly, head-banging turnovers. While other teams might expect to have no turnovers, Dallas was looking for a more mistake-free game which they got.
What went wrong: Run Offense – Unfortunately, the Red Raiders run offense got absolutely stuffed and really killed off many sustainable drives. The Red Raiders need to resuscitate their season quickly, or else it could be all over before it started. Being dealt a tough early schedule could be their downfall if they can’t find a way to balance out their offense and pull out a few wins.
Recent Game: L 0-23 at Oakland
Record: 0-3
Previous Rank: 11
Next Game: at Buffalo Rangers
12. Grand Haven Mist - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1222
What went right: Linebacking Corp – The linebacker corp did a respectable job trying to contain the Davidian running offense. While not ultimately successful, they were still able to give up major chunks of yardage on the ground due to solid tackling. They were also a bit opportunistic as well, forcing and recovering fumbles. With Mists’ defense anchored by this LB corp, their future could be pretty bright.
What went wrong: INTs – Overall, the passing offense wasn’t horrible considering that they were up against one of the premier defenses in the league, but their 3 INTs were pretty damaging and really wiped away the advantages that they created for themselves with the 4 forced fumble recoveries. If the Mists are able to cut down on their mistakes then they’ll be able to be much more competitive and potential surprise some teams.
Recent Game: L 3-44 at Waco
Record: 1-2
Previous Rank: 12
Next Game: vs Great Plains Reapers
13. Miami Cyclones - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1955
Contributor: sunderB
What went right: Pass Offense – Miami smartly leaned on their passing game and did a great deal of damage to the Stunners’ secondary. Unfortunately, they didn’t convert as much on their chances as they should have and they probably should have kept their starting QB in the game. Miami’s QBs were aided by receivers who didn’t drop the ball at all during the game. In this game Miami showed that it has a passing game that is to be feared.
What went wrong: Run Defense – In this pick-your poison type game, the Cyclones got burned by both the running and passing game, but the inability to stuff up the run caused this game to be a more lopsided affair than it should have been. The Miami front seven had a hard time bringing down either of Las Vegas’ backs. Miami will need to figure this out or else they’ll be put into grinder type games in which their offense has trouble succeeding in.
Recent Game: L 7-31 vs Las Vegas
Record: 0-3
Previous Rank: 13
Next Game: at Silverymoon Elves
14. RGB Berzerk - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1223
What went right: Pass Offense – For the first time, RGB debuted a potent pass offense that featured an over 70% completion rate, only one dropped pass and 1 TD pass. Even though the QBs were in a good amount of pressure with 9 total hurries, they only got intercepted once and drove down the field pretty easily.
What went wrong: O-line – There’s something fishy with an offensive line if the backs manage to break 13 tackles and yet only have a paltry 2.6 yd/carry to show for it. On top of that, the QBs were pressured all day, which could have led to more problems. RGB had better figure out how to get the most out of the offensive line because in this game the lack of points falls squarely on the O-line’s shoulders.
Recent Game: L 13-16 vs Spicewood
Record: 0-3
Previous Rank: 14
Next Game: at Carolina Bar Stars
15. Hartford Hellhounds - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=1216
What went right: Pass Offense – This week seems to have sparked a passing revolution where multiple teams had tremendous success in their passing game. Hartford was no different as their QBs went an impressive 80% in completion rate and racked up over 250 yards through the air.
What went wrong: Pass Defense – With all things considered, the Hellhounds didn’t do horribly in this department, but they allowed Carolina to gain some major yardage through the air. Considering how outleveled Carolina was in this game, the Hellhounds better be sure to shore up their pass defense against the many pass happy teams in this conference.
Recent Game: W 37-3 vs Carolina
Record: 1-2
Previous Rank: 15
Next Game: at New Brunswick
16. Carolina Bar Stars - http://goallineblitz.com/game/team.pl?team_id=734
What went right: QB play – Carolina’s starting QB had a pretty dynamite game considering that he had tons of pressure on him and having his receivers drop 7 passes. If those 7 passes would have been caught, the QB would have had an extremely solid 75% completion rating. The fact that he didn’t have any INTs shows tremendous improvement. If the Stars’ receivers can get better, they could end up stealing a few wins here and there.
What went wrong: Defense – Hartford was pretty much able to march down the field with ease because the Stars had trouble containing both the run and pass offense that Hartford brought to this game. There’s not much that the Stars can do on this end of the ball because developing a defense is tough to do when you are outleveled by so much. Hopefully they’ll be able to take some positives out of this game and continue to build their team.
Recent Game: L 3-37 at Hartford
Record: 0-3
Previous Rank: 16
Next Game: vs RGB Berzerk
Offensive Player of the Week:
QB Hugh Laurie Waco – 27/43 (62.8% completion), 346 yds passing, 3 TDs, 0 INTs
Defensive Players of the Week:
SS Ng Pham Nyugen Silverymoon – 2 tackles, 1 PD, 2 INTs for 19 yds
Co-Special Teams Player of the Week:
CB Mike Thompson Waco – 4 PRs for 127 yds (31.8 yd/punt return) and a 76 yd punt return. Also had 3 tackles, 2 PDs, and 2 INTs for 2 yds.
P Pierna Gigante Scottsdale – 6 Punts for 241 yds (40.2 yds/punt!!)
Games of the Week:
Originally posted by Gold Star Game
#2 Waco at #4 Las Vegas
This marquee matchup will showcase two undefeated teams who are gunning for at least a home playoff spot. This game will tell us a lot about how the end of the season standings will shake out.
Prediction: Up until now Waco has had the tougher competition and has handled it with ease, while Las Vegas had a bit of trouble dispatching Scottsdale. It seems that Waco is more battle tested for this game and the Waco defense will give Las Vegas more than it can handle.
Predicted Score: 24-16 Waco
#6 Buffalo vs #11 Dallas
Both of these teams are experiencing something that they never experienced last season. Buffalo had only lost two games down in BBB (one of them in the league championship) and have never been on a two game losing streak. Meanwhile, even though Dallas started out 0-2 last season, they were able to put brakes on the skid and turn their season around. This time though, they’ve dropped 3 games and they weren’t that close in the end.
Prediction: If Dallas hopes to have a fighting chance to win its first game of the season, they’ll need to stop committing turnovers. Even though Dallas has more experience from bouncing back after a tough few games, I believe that Buffalo’s offense has too much power for the Red Raider defense to contain for 4 full quarters.
Predicted Score: 33-24 Buffalo
#7 Portland vs #9 Oakland
This game is a meeting of the past two victims of the revitalized New Brunswick n00bs. These teams will be jockeying for position to make the playoffs because it is going to be extremely close near the end of the season. This game could very well determine who’s in and who’s out. Portland will try to prove to the rest of the conference that it’s not just a pass happy team, while Oakland is out to prove that last season’s swoon and this season’s slow start are just an aberration and that they are a force to be reckoned with.
Prediction: The key of this game is going to be who can get into the endzone against the other team’s defense. Both of these teams struggled to do that against the n00bs, but Portland was still able to punch it in. So based upon those results, they should be able to do that to Oakland’s defense
Predicted Score: 21-13 Portland
#8 Spicewood vs # 10 Scottsdale
In another early de-facto play-in game, these two teams have already had their shares of disappointing losses and surprisingly close wins. Both these teams nosedived at the end of last season and while Spicewood was able to limp into the playoffs, while Scottsdale sat at home, Spicewood had dropped the match against Scottsdale earlier in the season.
Prediction: This game is a pretty much a toss-up. Their narrow losses against Portland and Las Vegas respectively showed that their defense could clamp down relatively well, but they’ll need their offense to perform. This one could very well come down to the kickers and will probably be a replay of last season with Scottsdale pulling out a squeaker.
Predicted Score: 16-13 Scottsdale
Current “Game of the Week” Record: 9-3
If you have a different opinion of the players of the week, have a “play of the week” or have a prediction of the “Game of the Week” post below. Let’s see how this season turns out and good luck in week 4
Last edited Jun 17, 2008 16:25:07
