CFFL 2021 Week 10

We are heading down the stretch with only 4 more games left.  2 more interdivision games and then the final games against divisional opponents.  Anything can happen in the next 4 weeks.  It's time to take a look at the playoff picture and who is in the hunt (see end of article).  The Wrecking Crew are close to clinching the North with a 4 game lead with 4 to go.  A Crew can clinch with a win this week.  Rest of the divisions are still up for grabs.

But first let's take a look at last week's action...

Wrecking Crew 22  Krauts 10 - The Crew got lucky this week squeaking by the Krauts who had trouble finding points.  Aaron Rodgers was back off the Chinese Communist Party Wuhan Virus list, but came up empty.  The Crew were without Murray for the second week in a row and decided to start McCoy instead of Jimmy G, which turned out to be a big mistake as Jimmy G threw two TD passes to Deebo "Dabo Sweeney" Samuel who was also on the bench.  Fortunately "A..B.." CeeDee Lamb "Chops" scored twice for the Crew in the win.  

Lamb scores 2 big TDs for Crew

Warbirds 28  Crush 3 - What?  Warbirds actually played like Warbirds and not Whirlybirds?  They actually did getting TDs from Zack Moss, Callaway, and "Dig Dug" Diggs.  The Crush were completely depleted, getting only 3 points from their kicker while rest of the players were shut out.  

Dig Dug hauls one in for the Warbirds

Killers 50  Titans 20 - Killers dropped a fifty-burger on the Titans after somewhat of a slow start.  Brady hit Evans again for a 10 point connection.  Rookie DeVonta Smith is starting to become a good fantasy WR and scored twice for the Killers.  Only players to score for the Titans were their kicker and QB.

Rookie DeVonta Smith starting to come on for the Killers

Iron Legion 19  Killer Bees 11 - Iron Legion got lucky this week as well pulling off the win with no Kamara and Tyler Boyd on a bye.  Austin Ekeler was able to score the only TD for the Legion.  With their starting QBs of either Mayfield or Fields, this team may not go far if they make the playoffs.  Just saying...

Ekeler celebrates his TD with a little guitar action!

Whales 57  Dragons 10 - Welcome back Whales and Mahomes!  After a slump the Whales and QB Patrick Mahomes lit it up and landed a fifty-burger on the Dragons.  Mahomes threw for 5 TDs and connecting with Tyreek Hill for two 10 point connections.  AJ Dillon scored twice for the Whales as well and could see more touches in the red zone going forward.  

These two hooked up twice for the Whales

Sinistars 28 Ferrets 15 - The Sinistars held off the Ferrets who got 11 points on Sunday Night from kicker Butker.  But the Sinistars would get two TD passes from Carr that night and then a TD catch from K.I. "TT Boy" L.E Monday.  Ferrets also were playing shorthanded with Uzomah still in the line up on a bye, but like most of the "leave them in" gaffs it wouldn't have made a difference.

Carr managed to score twice for Sinistars

Animals 47  Juggernauts 28 - The Animals had a good day keeping their playoff hopes alive.  Cousins had 8 points for the Animals while Henry Hunter scored twice in the win.  Even the defense got in the act as the Cowboy D blocked a punt for a TD.  All 28 points for the Juggs came from their two Cowboy players Prescott and Elliott.  Too bad they can't find any other players to contribute.  

Henry scores twice for Animals

Chislers 23  Cocktails 19 - The Chislers hung on against the Cocktails late into Monday night.  With the Chislers facing Cocktails' QB Stafford and having a narrow 8 point lead they were nervous.  They did have counters to Stafford in Jefferson, Kupp and Henderson.  Stafford would not have a great day, but his first (and only) TD pass went to Higbee making it 23-19 and looking for more.  Jefferson dropped a TD pass.  But the game would end 23-19 with Stafford not getting another point.  He may be a little disgruntled being traded from the Crush in sunny California to the Cocktails in gloomy miserable Russia...

Josh Allen had a much better week this week scoring twice

Player of the Week:  Patrick Mahomes, QB, Whales - 20 points

Playoff Picture:

Division                               Wildcard

1. Wrecking Crew 9-1        5. Legion 6-4

2. Krauts 7-3                       6. Cocktails 6-4

3. Killers 6-4                       7. Sinistars 6-4

4. Bees 5-5                          8. Whales 5-5

In the hunt

Animals 5-5

Chislers 5-5

Dragons 4-6

Titans 4-6

CFFL 2021 Week 9

There were some exciting comebacks in the CFFL this week and we are starting to see some separation in the North.  The Crew have won 5 in a row and are now 8-1 leading the North by 4 games already.  The Krauts and the Cocktails continuing to win in the East.  Krauts hold a 1 game lead over Cocktails and the Sinistars are not too far behind.  The South and the West are still all pretty close.  Even the Whirlybirds at 2-7 not out of it yet...

Here is last weeks combination of close calls, comebacks and blowouts:

Wrecking Crew 48  Juggernauts 8 - Not sure what the Juggernauts were doing here, but they didn't even start a QB.  Although it wouldn't have mattered if he did.  The Crew dominated this game, without Murray.  They were led by James Conner's 3 TDs.  He now has 11 on the season and leads all RBs in TDs.

Jimmy G had 8 points in for Murray

Crush 33  Killer Bees 32 -  This was a monumental comeback!  After trading away two of their best players (Metcalf and Stafford) they finally got a win.  Maybe they got rid of locker room cancer.  Regardless they still trailed 32-6 late in the game.  The Crush would need a big night from its Steeler players.  And man did they get it.  Najee Harris started things off with a TD run, and the Freiermuth "Firemouth" scored two more times!  Add 9 more points from kicker Cairo Santos "Todd Chontos" and you have a one point victory!

Firemouth!!

Killers 41  Whirlybirds 21 - No Brady.  No Evans. No Problem.  The Killers would get 11 points from back up QB Teddy "Two Gloves" Bridgewater and 12 points from Joe Mixon.  Plus they go pick up old man Peterson, put him in the starting line up and boom he scores.  The Whirlybirds did get 12 points from Lamar Jackson, but wasn't nearly enough.  

Joe Mixon continues to produce for the Killers

Iron Legion 27  Dragons 16 - In another curios line up, the Dragons left Tua in who would not start.  Not that he had much of a choice with his back up QBs on bye (Wilson and Geno Smith).  Baker Mayfield threw for 8 points for the Legion and Kamara found the end zone for the 3rd straight week. 

Baker gets great protection and throws 2 TDs

Titans 21  Whales 15 - In a lackluster game the Whales lost their 4th in a row after starting the season 4-1 and looking like the team to beat.  Both teams only got points from their kicker and QB.  Whales were leading 15-10 going into MNF and was hoping to hold on and survive Titan kicker Boswell. Boswell kept kicking FGs and soon had 11 points to finish the night and give the Titans the win.

Boswell kicks 11 to win the game!

Sinistars 29  Chislers 6 - After blowing the doors off the Animals last week, the Chislers came out flat and could only muster 6 points from their kicker.  Allen, Cook, Kupp all came up empty.  The Sinistars starting things out with a pick 6 by the Browns D and never looked back.  Melvin Gordon would even get in the action with a TD.

Gordon scores TD in the Sinistar win

Cocktails 35  Animals 34 - This was a shoot out.  Back and forth these two teams would go.  Cocktails taking early lead with 2 TDs from Taylor on Thursday.  Then it was the Chubb Chubb Train for the Animals as Chubb would get 2 TDs of his own.  Before you know it its 34-31 for the Animals heading into the Sunday night game.  The Cocktails would only need one Stafford TD pass to win the game.  No problem, right?  Well Stafford would struggle all night.  And it really looked like he might not find the end zone.  But just as time was running out, Stafford was able to throw a TD pass in garbage time for the Cocktail win!  On a side note, had Animals started Cousins instead of Hurts they would have won easily.  Cousins had 14 points vs. Hurts' 4.

Taylor scores 2 early TDs for the Cocktails

Krauts 31  Ferrets 22 - This game much closer than the score indicates.  Ferrets led this game late 22-19 and it would come down to MNF.  Both of their QBs played a great game.  With Rodgers out with the Chinese Communist Party Wuhan Virus, the Krauts started Wentz who would get 12 points early.  Ferrets answered with Herbert's 15 points. But trailing by only 3 points and having Darnell Mooney, they would only need one TD.  They would get 2 from Mooney and the win.

Mooney Mooney Mooney scores game winner!

Player of the Week:  James Conner, RB, Wrecking Crew - 18 points

CFFL 2021 Week 8

 

We are past the half way point of the season and have made it through the dreaded home and home series.  There were six sweeps in the home and home series that have shaped the current division races...After a sweep of the Ferrets, the Crew lead the North now by 3 games, but are facing some injury issues..Bees are in a tight race with the Dragons, leading the South by 1 game after the sweep of the fading Whirlybirds...Krauts keep marching on while Cocktails are keeping pace only 1 game back after they both swept their home and home series against Juggernauts and Sinistars respectively...And the West has become a shit show with 3 teams tied at 4-4 after the Killers swept the Crush and the Legion swept the Whales...

Here is the action from last weeks final home and home games...

Wrecking Crew 26  Ferrets 22 - The Crew hang on after Kyler Murray came up with zero points and a banged up ankle, thanks to Conner's two TDs early.  They had to survive late night attempt to comeback by the Ferrets with Butker and the KC D.  Ferrets were dealt a big blow with news that they may lose star RB Derrick "Rat Tail" Henry for the season with a foot fracture.  Man the Ferrets are truly a curse.

Conner gets 2 scores for the Crew

Chislers 40  Animals 13 - The Chislers played in a foul mood and destroyed the Animals with Allen back as he threw for 14 points.  They were not going to lose both games.  Henderson ran in two TDs as well.  Animals struggled to find any points and only their kicker scored the 13 points.

After a slow start, Allen ends up with 14 points

Killer Bees 17  Warbirds 14 - Well at least it was close, but yet another losing week for the Whirlybirds.  Plus their recent pick up, Robert Tonyan, went out of the game with a season ending ACL injury.  Bees didn't exactly score a lot, but it was enough.  Aaron Jones scored his 7th TD of the season for the Bees.

Aaron Jones has 7 TDs on the season for Bees

Dragons 20  Titans 17 - In another low scoring snoozer, the Dragons were able to out score the Titans.  It was a battle of Dolphin / ex-Dolphin QBs.  Tannehill for the Titans vs. Tua for the Dragons.  Tannehill outscored him 14-7, but didn't get much more help.  Dragons win with just points from QB and kicker (Slye had 13).

Tua gets the win for the Dragons

Cocktails 34  Sinistars 18 - The Cocktails complete the sweep of the Sinistars who might be rethinking his QB drafting strategies.  Mac Jones for the Sinistars had 1 point.  Cocktails running game chewed it up.  Taylor got 6 and Chuba Hubbard got 6.  Lots of moves by the Cocktails may finally be paying off.

Hubbard gets in the end zone for the Cocktails

Krauts 23  Juggernauts 16 - Krauts hung on to sweep the Juggernauts.  Krauts had a 23-0 lead going into SNF and had to survive Cooper Rush, Elliott, and Zuerlein, oh and K.J. "Ozzy" Osborn.  They managed to survive despite 16 points between Rush and Elliott.  Just another TD pass and TD from them and the Juggs might have pulled it off.

AJ Brown scores for the red hot Krauts

Killers 52  Crush 37 - The Killers lit up the Crush dropping a fifty-burger on them, but what else is new for the Crush.  Seems like every week a team scores 40 plus points on them.  Brady again was big throwing for 16 points including another 10 point connection to Evans.  Joe Mixon and Robert "Ice Bucket" Woods both scored twice.  Crush, despite being down only 2 games in the division and scoring points, have declared a fire sale.

"Ice Bucket" Woods scores twice for Killers

Iron Legion 50  Whales 15 - Speaking of fifty-burgers, the Legion dropped one on the Whales who waited until MNF to start scoring points.  Another disappointing week from their top player Mahomes.  Legion had almost all of their players score, including a surprising 10 points from Justin Fields. 

Fields gets 10 points in the win

Player of the Week:  Tom Brady, QB, Killers - 16 points

CFHL 2021-2022 Update #1: The Season has begun!

 

Well the 2021-2022 CFHL Season has started!  We are three weeks into the new season and have seen some changes already to this year's teams.  Gone are the Skull Crushers ("I don't follow hockey.. blah..blah..blah") and gone is USSR (not sure why other than the CFHL is cutting ties from the Soviet Union...).  Back is the Greek Empire.  While the country was in major financial trouble, they found a private equity company out of California to fund the hockey team.  And one brand new franchise, the Space Monkey Mafia.  Now that is an interesting name and will be fun to see how they play out.

Every three weeks I hope to get out updates, but very difficult during football season.  This is by far the longest fantasy sport schedule.  25 regular season weeks (only through 3) and then 3 rounds of playoffs.  So a total of 28 weeks!  In contrast, the CFFL is only 14 regular season weeks with 3 rounds of playoffs, and now we don't even play a meaningful game in the final 18th week of the season.

With all the being said, here are some of my early observations through the first 3 weeks of the marathon season of the CFHL...

The Krampus Carols and the Alex Assassins are the early division leaders.  Slim leads (Krampus up 3 points and Assassins only 2 points).  Assassins do have the best record currently at 13-3-2 and are led by All World Hockey Player Connor McDavid, who just continues to produce year after year.  He has 7 goals, 9 assists, 9 PPP and 4 hits already.  J.T. Miller also asserting his presence with 8 assists, 4 PPP and 26 huge hits!!  Not only do they have Connor McDavid, but they are also the league leader between the pipes.  Between Bobrovsky and Shesterkin they have 11 goalie wins and a SV% of .946.

Bobrovsky coming up big for the Assassins

Krampus Carols are led by Andrei Svechnikov who has 7 goals  and 12 hits on the season so far.  Have fun pronouncing that name...Barkov also starting hot with 5 goals, 5 assists and 7 hits.  Again, this team is strong in net with the league's leading goalie Frederik Andersen who is 7 for 7 in wins and a SV% of .956.

Andrei off to a quick start for the Krampus

The White Mambas are surprising the league with the leagues most prolific offense.  They lead the league in total goals, total assists and power play points.  The main line of Kopitar "The Zombie" (7 goals, 6 assists and 5 PPP), "Stinky" Stamkos (5-7-4) and Kyle "John" Connor (7-7-4), have been scoring machines.  

Kopitar is such a zombie...

The team that leaves their opponents hurting by the end of the game needing ice baths is the Space Monkey Mafia.  They lead the league in  hits with 140 and have 5 players with 20 or more hits on the season.  How about this list of enforcers; Stall (20 hits), Kreider (26), Tanev (32), Ekman-Larsson (20), Pionk (30).

Release the Tanev!

The Goon Crew just pitiful in net.  They are dead last in goalie wins (3) and SV% .878.  Brutal.

CFHL Alert:  Last year's runner up in the Cherry Cup California Raisins have the second most points in the league second only to the Assassins and started the season with a 6-0 shut out against the Crew, and after a tough week against the Who Gives a Puck, the came back last week with a 4-2 victory against the Space Monkeys.  Leon Draisaitl continues to play well going 5-8-5-3 to begin the season to go along with Lindholm's 7 goals and Huberdeau's 8 assists.

Draisaitl always a solid player.

3 Stars Awards:

Number 1 Star:  Frederik Andersen, Goalie, Krampus Carols - hasn't lost a game.  7 wins. .956 SV% and 1 shutout.

Number 2 Star:  Connor McDavid, C, Assassins - 7 goals, 9 assists, 9 PPP and 4 hits

Number 3 Star:  Alex Ovechkin, F, Space Monkey - 9 goals, 6 assists, 5 PPP and 9 hits (this guy ever get old?)

Goon Award:  Radko Gudas, D, Checkers - 40 hits!