CFFL Playoffs 2015 - Round 1

What a first round this was.  Top seeds fall.  Records break.  And two teams lay a 60-burger on their opponents.  Merry Freaking Christmas!!

Sinistars 67 Mayhem 29
The Sinistars barley made it into the playoffs.  In fact they didn't know they even made it until someone told them.  Well they made good use of the gift that was given to them.  They easily took out the top seed in the playoffs.  But that wouldn't be too much of a surprise. The top seed rarely makes it to the Fantasy Bowl.  You have to go back 10 years to 2005 when the 13-1 Cherry's Chislers won Fantasy Bowl XXI.

Woodhead scores 4 times!

The Sinistars got 36 points from a couple of unusual places.  First early it was their Chief defense who not only scored once, but twice!  Not a bad bonus in the playoffs.  Then the newly acquired Danny Woodhead would score once, twice, three, four times for 24 points!  This would be good enough for the second most points scored in a playoff game by a RB, tied with Portis, Steven "Stiff" Jackson, Marshall Faulk and Emmitt Smith. 

The Mayhem ended the season in disappointing fashion and even though Stafford had 12 points and Delanie Walker had 12 it wasn't enough.  Hard to overcome 36 points from a defense and a small white running back scoring 4 times. 

Mafia 64 Krauts 42
This game was much closer than the score would indicate.  This was a counter game as the Mafia cane in with Kirk Cousins at QB but the Krauts would counter with Jordan Reed and DeSean Jackson.  This would work for the most part as 3 out of Cousins' 4 TD passes went to them.  However Cousin would hit another WR and also run one in.  He would finish with 22 points and break the former record  for most points by a QB in a postseason game by one point.  He passed Matthew Stafford who had 21 points in the Fantasy Bowl XXVII in 2011 for the Chiselers. 

Cousins sets new postseason record!

Krauts would get 2 more TDs from Hill and then had Aaron Rodgers going later.  He would only throw 1 TD and the Mafia countered him with the Packer kicker Crosby who ended up with 12 points.  Going into the Sunday and Monday night games the Krauts had a narrow 42-40 lead and was done.  He would need the Mafia players to come up with goose eggs.. As it turned out David Johnson would score the game winner Sunday night.  But the Mafia wouldn't stop there, firing 3 more rounds into the dead Krauts, as Johnson would score 2 more times and Colston would score Monday night. 

Johnson finds the end zone 3 times!

Juggernauts 32 Ferrets 30
In probably the game of the week the Juggernauts came back to upset the Ferrets on a late TD Monday Night to win.  The Ferrets, looking for their first Fantasy Bowl title in their 31 year history was riding the hot hand of Russell Wilson, and turned out to be the right move as he scored 12 points.  Sanders would score as did Barnidge. 


Wilson did his best for the Ferrets

They also decided to start both Packer running backs, Lacy and Starks.  Seemed like the right thing to do.  They combined last week for 3 TDs, and might as well start both of them instead of trying to figure out who would score.  As it turned out, the Packers for some reason, started playing Kuhn in critical red zone situations!  What was up with that!?  Neither Lacy or Starks would score.  This would prove to be detrimental. 

Lacy and Starks were like what the hell??

The Ferrets would have a 30-16 lead going into Sunday night.  Not that comfortable but definitely doable.  "Can't stand ya" Catanzaro would kick in 10 points to make the game 30-26.  This would not be good for the Ferrets as the Juggs still had Brandin Cooks and Hightower Monday night. But Ferrets had the mighty Megatron.  It started to look like the Ferrets might dodge bullets like Neo. 

Cooks caught a long pass and dove into the end zone for a TD!! But upon further review he was down on the one.  Still bad for Ferrets as Hightower would punch it in for the TD on the next play..wait penalty.  Try 2 more times and Hightower would get stuffed.  The Juggs would come away with ZERO points from that mess and the Ferrets would need to survive just one more half.  But with 5 minutes left in the third quarter Cooks would catch a 27 yard pass for the TD and the win for the Juggs.  Megatron couldn't find the end zone.  A tough pill to swallow for the Ferrets to lose in round 1.  They would need to wait yet another year to win their first title. 

Cooks catches game winner

Crush 30 Cocktails 16

Bortles girlfriend Lindsey Dukes and her hot friend

This game was pretty much a yawner.  The Cocktails just couldn't overcome their QB injuries.  TJ Yates would leave the game with a torn knee and zero points, while the Crush's QB Bortles, who quietly become the 3rd ranked QB in the CFFL behind only Brady and Newton, scored 10 points.  They would get 6 more from Williams and Jeffery "I WIN". 

As the Cocktails and Krauts exit the playoffs, so goes the preseason favorites to go to the Fantasy Bowl.  While the Crush are trying to return to the Fantasy Bowl for the second year in a row.  They will have to take on the suddenly dangerous Sinistars to make the trip.

Second Round Match Ups:

Stamm's Sinistars at Cabucki's Crush

Line: Crush -1.5

The Crush will be playing for a chance to make it to their 3rd Fantasy Bowl since they entered the league in 1986.  Not a stellar record, but if they can defeat the Sinistars they will have made it 2 years in a row.  The big question, or maybe its not even a question, is start Bortles, or Eli Manning?  Eli actually outscored Bortles, 16-10 but will be on road vs. Vikings.  Bortles will be on road in New Orleans.  They will need better production out of their WRs than just 6 points between Jeffery, Wilson, Rodgers, and Gates. 

Sinistars will be trying to make it to their first ever Fantasy Bowl.  They have been in the league for 10 years and this is their first trip to Round 2!  Don't expect another 24 point performance from Woodhead this week.  But they also had 24 points on the bench from Diggs "Dig Dug" and Cooper.  Expect them in the line up this week... maybe... Every player scored last week expect Ryan Mathews.  Also don't expect 2 TDs again from their Chiefs Defense.  I have a feeling they will need to do it in a much more conventional way this week...

Jakes Juggernauts at Mark's Mafia

Line: Mafia -2.5

The Mafia will try to make it to only their 2nd Fantasy Bowl trip in the nearly 20 years they have been in the CFFL.  It was an interesting move last week for the Mafia to go with Cousins instead of Roethlisberger.  Will they do that again, or roll the dice on another line up change and put in Big Ben?  Not a bad problem to have.  Outside of that, look for a very similar line up with David Johnson leading the way.  Also Mike Evans, who was blanked last week, should do much better this week. 

The Juggernauts never have been to the Fantasy Bowl. They will look to make it there this year, after having just about a draft pick form nearly every team in this years draft.  And After a slow start to the year, they have won 8 in a row.  The move last week to not play Bradford and Matthews for the 10 point connection (which hooked up) didn't hurt them last week, but can they afford to not play them this week.  With "Malachi" Dalton out it would seem like the thing to do.  But then again that's what we thought last week. 

Merry Christmas to all of the CFFL owners.  While 12 of us are not where we want to be, it still has been a fun year once again in the CFFL's 31st year!