CFFL Week 14

What a wild final week of the Season... well at least in 2 games, rest weren't really that close. 

Game of the Week 1: Wrecking Crew 31 Animals 30

Carr celebrates his game winning TD!

The Animals were playing to keep their playoff hopes alive.  If they won they would be in good shape for a wildcard spot if one of the other 7-6 teams ahead of them would lose too.  The Crew were just playing spoiler.  The Animals took a commanding lead early with 12 points from Fitzpatrick and 12 from "Jim Jay" Bullock.  However Thomas Rawls would break his ankle and not return to the game.  The Crew got TDs from Martin and Sammy "Davis Jr" Watkins and the score was 30-17.  The Crew would need their Raiders to come through and they were playing the tough Bronco Defense.  It wasn't till the second half of that game when Carr would connect with Roberts for the 10 point connection making the game 30-27.  Just like that the Crew were back in it.  Carr would then throw one more TD, that turned out to be the game winning TD making it 31-30.  The Crew survived Sunday Night as the Animals had Hopkins going, but would come up empty.  Any playoff hopes the Animals had dissipated in the Sunday Night Texas air...

Game of the Week 2:  Dragons 46 Bees 43
Now this game had one of the wildest comebacks in CFFL history.  The Bees were looking at finishing 8-6, firmly set as a wildcard team.  They lead 34-22 late into Sunday as Lockett and Ginn Jr combined for 24 points.  The Dragons were led by Newton's 12 points, which at the time, looked like the Dragons wasted yet another great week from Newton.  The Bees then on Sunday Night would add 9 more from Gostkowski to make the score 43-22.  There was no way the Dragons would get 4 scores from Lamar Miller and Beckham Jr on Monday Night... or would they?  Well early on Lamar Miller scored from 14 yards out, score 43-28.  Lamar Miller would score again, this time a beautiful 38 yard run in the 2nd quarter, score 43-34.  They would still need 2 more scores.  Beckham Jr. would catch a 6 yard TD pass in the 3rd quarter, score 43-40.  Was it possible?  Could the impossible, be possible?  YES IT CAN!!! Then in the 4th quarter Beckham would haul in an 84 yard TD pass to complete the comeback, SCORE 46-43!!!  To make matters worse for the Bees who fell to 7-7, the Sinistars won to move to 7-7 and held the tie breaker over the Bees as they played week 5 with the Sinistars winning 47-24.  So the Dragons knocked out their bitter Rival Bees in dramatic fashion!

Beckham races 84 yards for game winner!

Sinistars 26 Mafia 10 - As mentioned the Sinistars win propelled them into the playoffs.  In addition their win over the Mafia helped the Crush become West Division Champs.  The Sinistars actually didn't even realize they had made the playoffs and were just fighting to be a respectable .500 club..

Williams playing big for the Crush

Crush 48 Bums 13 - Crush needed the win to clinch the West Division Crown and had little problem doing that vs. the Bums.  It helped to get 16 points from Eli Manning on Monday night to go along with DeAngelo Williams 12.  This marks 7 division title and first one since 2008.

Titans 28 Mayhem 13 - In a meaningless game the Titans upset the Mayhem led by 18 big points from Doug Baldwin "Brother".  The Mayhem still remain the number one seed in the playoffs and Sad Sack South Champs.  This is the Mayhem's 6 division title and first one since 2012.

Juggernauts 23 Cocktails 17 - In a must win game for both teams, more so for the Juggs, the Cocktails came up a little flat and have some serious QB issues going into the playoffs.  The Juggernauts had to win to stay in the wildcard spot.  The Cocktails needed the win to clinch the East Division.  The Juggs won with just 1 TD from Hightower (nice pick up) and 11 points from their kicker and 6 from their D.  An odd way to win.  This was the Juggernauts 7th win in a row.  Are they this year's Chislers?

Krauts 32 Roulette 6 - This time the Krauts made it all the way to Moscow and kicked some Rooskie ass.  With the Eastern Bloc title on the line the Krauts took care of business.  Rodgers had 8 and McManus kicked in 12.  And as it seems every week an Allen Brother scored and Jordan Reed scored.  The Roulette who looked so good early in the year completely faded away as their once potent 10 point connection became non existent (Ryan and Julio Jones). This is the Krauts 6 division title and second in a row. 

Jordan Reed TD Catch!

Ferrets 42 Chislers 19 - The Ferrets had the division locked up and not really playing for anything.  The Chislers on the other hand needed the win and help to make the playoffs for the 23rd time and 8th year in a row.  Well the Ferrets were playing for something.  The Coveted Cherry Brother sweep!  They beat the Chiselers 37-19 in Week 1.  Then swept the Crew in the home and home series and if they could win this game would have swept the Cherry Brothers.  This turned out to be easier than expected getting 20 points from Russell Wilson.  This is the Ferrets 7th Division title.  And this marks the first time that either the Crew or the Chislers did not make the playoffs since 1996!  (Looks like we will finally have a different trophy presentation next year)

Wilson ends all interviews now with "Go Ferrets"

NOW ON TO THE PLAYOFFS AND THE CHASE FOR FANTASY BOWL XXXI

Stamm's Sinistars (7-7) at Michigan Mayhem (10-4)

Line: Mayhem -2

The Mayhem come into the playoffs as the Number One Seed and marks their 9th playoff appearance since entering the league in 2002.  They are led by their QB Matthew Stafford, which isn't exactly good.  Edelman will need to come back to help Mayhem make a deep run into the playoffs.  Fitzgerald, Landry and recently Delanie Walker certainly don't hurt. 

The Sinistars basically backed into the playoffs as they were out of the playoffs until 11 minutes left in the Monday night game when the Dragons completed that epic comeback vs. Bees.  This is only the 6 playoff appearance for them since entering the league in 2005.  They will rely on an Allen Brother (Robinson) to take them further in the playoffs.  Not sure Jay Cutler or Johnny "Let's Party and do stupid shit" Manziel will lead this team.

Mark's Mafia (8-6) at Kretz Krauts (9-5)

Line: Krauts -6

Berlin will be buzzing as the Krauts return to Germany for another run at the Fantasy Bowl and are hoping for a better performance this year then last year's first round loss at home to the Crush.  This is the Krauts 9th playoff appearance since entering the league in 2002.  Krauts are tough with Rodgers at QB, Hill at RB and yet another Allen Brother in the playoffs (Hurns) not to mention Jordan Reed, the new stud Redskins TE. 


Krauts fans in line to get playoff tickets

The Mafia might be calling in some favors from their Italian mob to scout out things in Berlin and whack these Krauts.  Since 1996 when the Mafia started running booze and gambling in the CFFL, this is their 9th playoff appearance as well.  Interestingly they have Kirk Cousins (counter to Reed) but also Ben Roethlisberger.  Yeah Big Ben should get the nod.  They did suffer a big blow when Tyler Eifert went down last week with a concussion.  Will have to manage to get through at least one game without him. 

Mafia celebrating release of The Force Awakens

Jakes Juggernauts at Fez's Ferrets

Line: Pick'em

Who will Michigan route for?  The Ferrets who play in Ann Arbor or the Mayhem who play at Ford Field.  (If only Michigan was so lucky in reality). The Ferrets seem like a team of destiny.  Sweeping the Cherry Brothers and neither of them making the playoffs, winning the North and as one of the original 3 left in the league that started in 1985 and yet no Fantasy Bowl title.  Well in the 31 years this is their 12 playoff appearance and 7th division title.  They have a QB with a hot hand in Wilson who has been on fire lately.  Oh and they also have Brady.  A nice problem to have or a curse?  And does Vegas know something we don't?  A Pick'em?  Looks like an easy bet on the Ferrets!

Who to start??

The Juggs who, before the epic Bees collapse, were set to square off against long time rival Krauts, were happy to see that they get the Ferrets instead (careful what you wish for).  The Juggs were ridiculed for the first half of the season as they had a terrible draft, a draft in which they nearly had 2 picks in every round for the first 6 rounds!  Well they started to put things together and have rattled off 7 in a row.  This is only their 5th playoff appearance since entering the league in 2005.  Their playoff run might be short lived as their leader Andy "Malachi, Heat Miser" Dalton broke his thumb in the final game and is likely to be out remainder of the season. 

Molotov Cocktails at Cabucki's Crush

Line: Cocktails -1

The Crush entered the league in 1986 and this marks their 11 playoff appearance and yet they still don't know that a shut out by your defense gets you 6 points... This team is clearly led by DeAngelo Williams (a great get) and Richard "Jolly Trolley" Rodgers. The QB situation is interesting as they typically go with Eli Manning, but has Bortles on the bench.  He has actually outscored Manning 126-112.  He has scored 20 and 18 points the past two weeks. 

This is only the 2nd year for the Cocktails and they have immediately been recognized as a team that appears to know what they are doing and pays attention.  This team was predicted to be here, there is no question about that.  However as it stands their QB situation is a mess.  Luck, Hasselbeck, Hoyer.  I don't think any of them are healthy right now and Hasselbeck and Hoyer got hammered last week and would be in concussion protocols.  Devonta Freeman, who set the league on fire the first 6 weeks of the season scoring 10 TDs, has only scored 1 since.  Thankfully they acquired Brandon Marshall from the Crew.

Cocktails sign Nike to design new uniforms

Now lets take a look at how well the preseason predictions panned out:

North:  Predictions: Division Winner: Ferrets  Actual: Ferrets
Potential playoff team: Animals (that was close)

East: Division Winner: Cocktails  Actual: Krauts (both tied, but Krauts had tie breaker)
Playoff teams: Krauts and Roulette (was right about Krauts and Cocktails getting in.  Had Juggs on bubble)

South:  Division Winner: Dragons. Actual: Mayhem (whoops whiffed on that one)
Playoff teams: Mayhem (got that right)
On the bubble:  Bees (yep that was about as much on the bubble as you could be this year)
Predicted 3 wins.... Titans won 3 games this year...

West:  Division Winner: Mafia  Actual: Crush (came down to last game)
Playoff Teams: Bums, Sinister and Crush (only Bums didn't make it).

Not bad.  Not bad at all!