FAT DADDY CA$H’S CORNER
The Pre-season is in the books and WEPL now gears up for Inter-Conference play in Week 1.
In this leaner and meaner version of FDC’s Corner, we’ll break down the top games of Week 1 as well as release the first Power Rankings of the season – including my first ever attempt at ranking Alpha. The Alpha info will be much shorter and less … um … intelligent(?) due to my lack of knowledge. But I want to include Alpha more in these write ups if I can and I should get better as the season goes forward.
When the regular season begins I’ll update the Power Rankings regularly as well as recap the top games of the week and preview the best on deck as well. It’ll be a slightly new format that should hopefully allow me the time to do ‘em every week while keeping ‘em interesting for you guys.
Again, this is one man’s opinion and I hope you all enjoy it and it sparks discussion. Feel free to hurl the insults or compliments or even death threats. Lord knows I love my hate mail.
Zeta Power Rankings: Week 1
1. Rivals Mainboard Pimps
The defending Zeta Champs start the season where they left off. The Pimps got off to a hot start in the pre-season by avenging their WEPL Championship loss. The new pieces on the roster seem to be playing well even despite the loss to Woodridge. The Pimps have a brutal opening schedule as they have to play Paris (again) followed by Korb.
2. Korb Destroyers
What’s the biggest news in Korb these days? The best defensive team seems to have found a pass rush to compliment their already stifling D. The Destroyers piled up 14 sacks in 2 preseason games including 7 by OLB Disa Destroyer and 3 by newly acquired DE Ed Stinson. The new pass rush is bad news for the rest of the Conference.
3. Stockholm Meatballs
Stockholm had an impressive preseason beating both Woodridge and the Philharmonic. The new additions to the D have lived up to their billing and Mal Brown seems to be in mid season form. The Meatballs face a tough Week 1 opponent in Berlin in what should be a dynamite game.
4. PPP Longnecks
PPP jumped Rotterdam in the rankings thanks to two explosive preseason performances against AWC and Toledo. The Longnecks piled up 108 points while displaying a balanced attack. The new HB tandem and QB Levi Jackson’s emergence should propel the Longnecks to a 12 win season.
5. Rotterdam Roughnecks
The offense looks to be ready to roll as they piled up 106 points in just two games. However the bad news is that the defense was non-existent, allowing 73 points in the same span. Fortunately, the Roughnecks have the benefit of a soft opening week that should allow them time to tweak the D before heading into Antwerp.
6. Multiple Scorgasms
Multiple makes a big jump in my rankings thanks to the play of QB James McMahon. The new QB torched Lake Charles and Chicago for a total of 711 yards, 8TDs and just 1 INT. The Scorgasms dropped 107 points in total, perhaps making them the most explosive offense in Zeta (sorry Rotterdam).
7. Antwerp Annihilators
Antwerp gets the nod here as the only new team to crack the top 8 thanks in part to their strong pre-season performance. Despite being 2-0 in the pre-season, they have yet to play a WEPL veteran team, allowing some doubts to linger. The questions will be answered fast though as they open with AWC followed by back to back games versus Rotterdam and Multiple. Hope the defensive secondary remembers to eat their vegetables!
8. Reykjavik Aggies
The other new QB in Zeta, Rich Campbell, hasn’t gotten the headlines that McMahon has but that might soon change. Campbell had a strong pre-season throwing for 627 yards, 5 TDs and only 1INT as he led the Aggies to a 2-0 pre-season. While questions about the defense remain, if Campbell continues to perform at this level, the Aggies could be a pleasant surprise in Season 6.
9. Black Forest Mercenaries
A tricky team to judge. On paper they have an edge over most WEPL teams as far as the match-up numbers go. However their performance in the preseason was shaky at best. The good news is that the Mercenaries get a very soft schedule to start the season as they don’t face a playoff team from Season 5 until Week 10.
10. Berlin Ballers
The Ballers are yet another team that is difficult to judge. The Ballers finished 1-1 in the pre-season but did not face any veteran WEPL competition. The most alarming stat from the Baller’s pre-season is 4 … As in the total number of sacks they racked up. For a team that stormed through AAA thanks to they’re dominating pass-rushing DEs, this is not a good sign.
11. Paris Musketeers
The big question coming out of the pre-season for Paris is: how long before Ace Rivers takes the starting QB job? QB has long been a weak spot for the Musketeers, but Rivers outplayed starter Christian Soldier by leaps and bounds in the pre-season. With a decent opening schedule, the Musketeers should move quickly to make the change and establish an identity outside of Nolan Akers.
12. UK Patriots
So far the Patriots’ passing attack has lived up to the hype as QB Jim Roberts torched Alpha secondaries for 827 yards, 6 TDs and 1 INT. The bad news was the Patriot defense gave up 69 points in those two games and looked bad in doing so. This is a team that is going to have a razor thin margin for error but their passing attack should be fun to watch.
13.Lyon Dynasty
Lyon is dealing with the new Agile DE issues just like Berlin as they stumbled to a 1-1 pre-season mark. The team is deep and balanced but without the suffocating pass rush they enjoyed from last year, the holes in the D are exposed. A brutal opening schedule pits them against Woodridge and Berlin – an 0-2 start is a strong possibility.
14. Sevilla Naranjas
Another offensive juggernaut with a sieve for a defense. The Naranjas piled up the points in the pre-season but also gave up 86 in return. The D will have to find their swagger in a hurry to keep them in playoff contention.
15. ATOIAF
Two lopsided loses might have shaken the faith in some of ATOIAF’s fans. The coaching staff will have to adjust quick as their schedule has some winnable games in the first quarter and then quickly becomes a gauntlet.
16. Porto Reconquistas
Porto should have been a contender … okay that sounds better doing the Brando voice in my office … but I digress. The former playoff team shocked the league by suddenly becoming CPU owned. Another team bites the dust.
Alpha Power Rankings: Week 1
1. Paris Philharmonic
Two tough loses in the pre-season is not a good way to start the year. Still, the defending WEPL champs are the number one team until someone proves otherwise. A great match-up in Week 1 pits Paris against the Pimps for the second time in four games. If Paris can find a way to win, they will be lined up for a very fast start.
2. Woodridge Lumberjacks
Woodridge is still one of GLB’s elite teams and an impressive win over the Pimps to end the pre-season puts them on the right track to reclaim the Alpha crown. Facing a balanced schedule, the Lumberjacks should be able to get off to a quick start.
3. Berlin Blitzkrieg
If the pre-season is any indication, Berlin has taken another step forward. Already one a perennial playoff team from Alpha, Berlin looked great in a shootout win over Rotterdam and put up a good fight against the powerful Destroyers. A nightmare of an opening schedule, Berlin has to face Stockholm, The Monarchs and Woodridge back to back to back. Yikes!
4. London Monarchs
The Monarchs didn’t get off to the start they wanted in the pre-season. Facing two rookie Zeta teams, the Monarchs split going 1-1. However their offense looked sharp, generating 75 points along the way. Sadly, the D gave up 76. But pre-season is meaningless, right? The Monarchs better hope so.
5. Black Watch
Like the Aggies and Monarchs, Black Watch only faced two other new WEPL teams in the preason. Still, they looked impressive on both sides of the ball. This is a team that could end up surprising some folks.
6. Fightin’ Texas Aggies
An undefeated preseason where the offense scored 98 points is enough to get excited about. However it has to be noted that success came at the expense of two rookie teams. Still, the Aggies seem to have found some additional firepower in the off-season.
7. London Minotaurs
Another newbie this high in the rankings? I must be high, right?! Sadly, no. But call this one a hunch.
8. Toledo Swords
I know, I know, how can I rank the mighty Toledo Swords behind two new teams?! Well I’m still not high, but I am high on Toledo’s prospects this year (come on, you love delicious word play like that) – or was before that ugly 56 to 10 loss to the Longnecks. Still a soft opening schedule should allow Toledo to jump out to a 7-0 or 6-1 start.
9. Aberdeen Wrecking Crew
This is a team with a lot of high expectations on its shoulders thanks to its terrific off-season. However, the pre-season showed us that it might take more time than most expected before all the new pieces click. That’s not good considering how tough their opening schedule is.
10. Chicago Rocks
Might be ranked a shade too high but their offense has looked impressive – sadly their defense has not. The Week 1 game against the Longnecks will be a good test. Since they don’t face a playoff team until Week 6, Chicago has to jump out to a 4-1 or at least a 3-2 start to put themselves in contention.
11. Lake Charles Who’s Dats
An ugly loss to Multiple and a forgettable win over Porto leaves a lot to wonder about this club.
12. Wembley Warriors
The Warriors did not face any veteran WEPL teams in the pre-season as they went 1-1. They will need to find consistency fast as a tough match up with the Aggies opens their year.
13. Stuttgart Nighthawks
With tough games against Paris and Toledo to open Alpha play, Stuttgart needs to get off to a fast start against Sevilla.
14. Dinas Mawddwy Red Bandits
Has to hope the pre-season was just that …
15. E-City Mercenaries
E-City had one of the toughest draws in the preseason as they faced Korb and Rotterdam and looked miserable in both. They don’t have time to rest as they face the recharged Scorgasms in Week 1. If you’re a fan of defense, don’t watch this game.
16. Carthage Army of Darkness
Darkness may come sooner than Carthage would like as it will take a brilliant season to stave off relegation.
Game Previews
Antwerp Annihilators at Aberdeen Wrecking Crew
Breakdown: Aberdeen overhauled their roster with an influx of former Troll players in the off-season. Key to their rebuilding project was the addition of perennial MVP candidate QB JJ Flicker and WR JJ Missile. However in the pre-season JJ Flicker seemed slow to adapt as the star QB tossed 5 INTs to just 3 TDs. Adding to the offensive troubles has been the inconsistent running game. With so many talented HBs on the roster, it might be a case of too many cooks in the kitchen. Either way, Aberdeen has a lot more question marks than they anticipated as they head into the regular season.
Antwerp rolled through their AAA competition in the pre-season without breaking much of a sweat. A bruising ground game dominated time of possession as well as the scoreboard. The big concern is the high amount of fumbles lost (4) and INTs (3) – something the Annihilators will have to remedy against the opportunistic Wrecking Crew. The Antwerp secondary piled up 3 INTs of their own and will be hoping to feast against the still shaky Aberdeen offense.
Prediction: This should be a good match-up as it is an early test for two teams with playoff aspirations. Aberdeen has the horses, but they haven’t shown the ability to utilize them quite yet. I don’t expect that to change this week. Antwerp takes it 34-27.
Berlin Blitzkrieg at Stockholm Meatballs
Breakdown: Berlin has long been a team that prides itself on its ability to run and stop the run. They will be tested fully against Stockholm’s 1-2 punch of Mal Brown and The Glow. The pressure will be on DTs Ladanian Takleson and Killer Ace to clog up the middle and force the Meatballs’ new QB Gunn Slinger to go to the air. Offensively, Berlin will have to be balanced, relying on HB Zipper Head and QB Ewiv Enor to control the clock and not turn the ball over.
Stockholm has looked impressive in the pre-season but will need to be in top form to knock off the Blitzkrieg. While the new pieces of the defense have gelled quickly, the new weapons in the receiving corps remain largely a question mark. If Stockholm is forced to air it out, it could be anyone’s game.
Prediction: I’m unbelievably biased in this one, however I think it’s going to be a heck of a game. I expect a low scoring match that will hinge on a big play or two by the defense. Stockholm wins it 27-13.
Black Watch at UK Patriots
Breakdown: This is another curious match-up as it pits two rookie WEPL teams against one another. Despite Black Watch’s edge on paper (and it’s a sizeable one), the Patriot’s passing attack has been terrific in the pre-season – enough so to make this a closer than expected game. Black Watch gave up 322 yards passing to Berlin in their last pre-season game, something that will have to change quickly. The pressure will be on CB Pacman Scofflaw to raise the team INT total from it’s lowly number (only 1 in the pre-season) while OLB Fo’Dee Ounce will have to provide the pressure on QB Jim Roberts.
For the Patriots it’s no secret what they like to do or what they need to do. Their offense needs to put up points in bunches to ease the burden on their undermaned defense. It’s going to be interesting to see if the Patriots can figure out a way to sustain drives without much of a rushing game and keep the Black Watch offense off the field.
Prediction: There aren’t many great match-ups in Week 1, but this one should at least be entertaining. Black Watch is the better team and will find a way to win this one despite a mighty effort from Roberts. Black Watch 42 – UK Patriots 38.
Game of the Week
Paris Philharmonic at Rivals Mainboard Pimps
Breakdown: These teams might just be getting sick of one another. This will be the 3rd time in 4 games that the two teams have met – appropriately the series is tied 1 to 1. Of course the Philharmonics do have a certain trophy that the Pimps would love to have on their mantle.
The first two match-ups between these teams were dynamite. From Paris’s 1 point WEPL Championship win to the Pimps narrow 3 point victory in the pre-season. There’s no reason not to expect another classic in Week 1.
The Pimps’ new HB Tremaine Stephens has quickly fallen into a groove with the electric Lee Suggs. In the pre-season both backs combined for 387 yards and 4 TDs (3 of those TDs came at Paris’s expense). However QB Phillipp Pohl has struggled, passing for just over 200 yards with 3 INTs and just 1 TD. The Pimps will need Pohl to find his Pro Bowl form quickly as Paris will do everything it can to shut down Suggs and Stephens.
Paris had a rough pre-season losing a tight game to the Pimps and then getting dominated by Stockholm. The pressure will be on the defense to shore up the mistakes as they had 18 missed tackles against the Meatballs while allowing both their feature backs to rush for over 6 yards a carry. If the Paris front seven can’t step up their game against the equally potent tandem of Suggs and Stephens, it could be a long day for the Philharmonic.
Prediction: This will be an exciting game but you can’t help but feel that the Pimps are more confident heading into this one. Expect another classic but this time the Pimps win 34-20.
Rest of the Week 1 Predictions
Now … for the rest of the predictions without the breakdown.
Paris Musketeers at Lake Charles Who Dats: Paris wins 27-13.
Fightin’ Texas Aggies at Berlin Ballers: Aggies win 38-30.
Wembley Warriors at Reykjavik Aggies: Aggies win 40-20.
Black Forest Mercenaries at London Monarchs: BFM win 31-30.
Multiple Scorgasms at E-City Mercenaries: MUL wins 50-17.
Sevilla Naranjas at Stuttgart Nighthawks: Nighthawks win 48-37.
Toledo Swords at ATOIAF: Toledo wins 38-23.
Lyon Dynasty at Woodridge Lumberjacks: Wujax win 39-13.
Korb Destroyers at Dinas Mawyddwy Red Badits: Korb wins 47-3.
Carthage Army of Darkness at Rotterdam Roughnecks: ROT wins 58-3.
Porto Reconquistas at London Minotaurs: London wins … by a lot.
Chicago Rocks at PPP Longnecks: PPP wins 43-10.
The Pre-season is in the books and WEPL now gears up for Inter-Conference play in Week 1.
In this leaner and meaner version of FDC’s Corner, we’ll break down the top games of Week 1 as well as release the first Power Rankings of the season – including my first ever attempt at ranking Alpha. The Alpha info will be much shorter and less … um … intelligent(?) due to my lack of knowledge. But I want to include Alpha more in these write ups if I can and I should get better as the season goes forward.
When the regular season begins I’ll update the Power Rankings regularly as well as recap the top games of the week and preview the best on deck as well. It’ll be a slightly new format that should hopefully allow me the time to do ‘em every week while keeping ‘em interesting for you guys.
Again, this is one man’s opinion and I hope you all enjoy it and it sparks discussion. Feel free to hurl the insults or compliments or even death threats. Lord knows I love my hate mail.
Zeta Power Rankings: Week 1
1. Rivals Mainboard Pimps
The defending Zeta Champs start the season where they left off. The Pimps got off to a hot start in the pre-season by avenging their WEPL Championship loss. The new pieces on the roster seem to be playing well even despite the loss to Woodridge. The Pimps have a brutal opening schedule as they have to play Paris (again) followed by Korb.
2. Korb Destroyers
What’s the biggest news in Korb these days? The best defensive team seems to have found a pass rush to compliment their already stifling D. The Destroyers piled up 14 sacks in 2 preseason games including 7 by OLB Disa Destroyer and 3 by newly acquired DE Ed Stinson. The new pass rush is bad news for the rest of the Conference.
3. Stockholm Meatballs
Stockholm had an impressive preseason beating both Woodridge and the Philharmonic. The new additions to the D have lived up to their billing and Mal Brown seems to be in mid season form. The Meatballs face a tough Week 1 opponent in Berlin in what should be a dynamite game.
4. PPP Longnecks
PPP jumped Rotterdam in the rankings thanks to two explosive preseason performances against AWC and Toledo. The Longnecks piled up 108 points while displaying a balanced attack. The new HB tandem and QB Levi Jackson’s emergence should propel the Longnecks to a 12 win season.
5. Rotterdam Roughnecks
The offense looks to be ready to roll as they piled up 106 points in just two games. However the bad news is that the defense was non-existent, allowing 73 points in the same span. Fortunately, the Roughnecks have the benefit of a soft opening week that should allow them time to tweak the D before heading into Antwerp.
6. Multiple Scorgasms
Multiple makes a big jump in my rankings thanks to the play of QB James McMahon. The new QB torched Lake Charles and Chicago for a total of 711 yards, 8TDs and just 1 INT. The Scorgasms dropped 107 points in total, perhaps making them the most explosive offense in Zeta (sorry Rotterdam).
7. Antwerp Annihilators
Antwerp gets the nod here as the only new team to crack the top 8 thanks in part to their strong pre-season performance. Despite being 2-0 in the pre-season, they have yet to play a WEPL veteran team, allowing some doubts to linger. The questions will be answered fast though as they open with AWC followed by back to back games versus Rotterdam and Multiple. Hope the defensive secondary remembers to eat their vegetables!
8. Reykjavik Aggies
The other new QB in Zeta, Rich Campbell, hasn’t gotten the headlines that McMahon has but that might soon change. Campbell had a strong pre-season throwing for 627 yards, 5 TDs and only 1INT as he led the Aggies to a 2-0 pre-season. While questions about the defense remain, if Campbell continues to perform at this level, the Aggies could be a pleasant surprise in Season 6.
9. Black Forest Mercenaries
A tricky team to judge. On paper they have an edge over most WEPL teams as far as the match-up numbers go. However their performance in the preseason was shaky at best. The good news is that the Mercenaries get a very soft schedule to start the season as they don’t face a playoff team from Season 5 until Week 10.
10. Berlin Ballers
The Ballers are yet another team that is difficult to judge. The Ballers finished 1-1 in the pre-season but did not face any veteran WEPL competition. The most alarming stat from the Baller’s pre-season is 4 … As in the total number of sacks they racked up. For a team that stormed through AAA thanks to they’re dominating pass-rushing DEs, this is not a good sign.
11. Paris Musketeers
The big question coming out of the pre-season for Paris is: how long before Ace Rivers takes the starting QB job? QB has long been a weak spot for the Musketeers, but Rivers outplayed starter Christian Soldier by leaps and bounds in the pre-season. With a decent opening schedule, the Musketeers should move quickly to make the change and establish an identity outside of Nolan Akers.
12. UK Patriots
So far the Patriots’ passing attack has lived up to the hype as QB Jim Roberts torched Alpha secondaries for 827 yards, 6 TDs and 1 INT. The bad news was the Patriot defense gave up 69 points in those two games and looked bad in doing so. This is a team that is going to have a razor thin margin for error but their passing attack should be fun to watch.
13.Lyon Dynasty
Lyon is dealing with the new Agile DE issues just like Berlin as they stumbled to a 1-1 pre-season mark. The team is deep and balanced but without the suffocating pass rush they enjoyed from last year, the holes in the D are exposed. A brutal opening schedule pits them against Woodridge and Berlin – an 0-2 start is a strong possibility.
14. Sevilla Naranjas
Another offensive juggernaut with a sieve for a defense. The Naranjas piled up the points in the pre-season but also gave up 86 in return. The D will have to find their swagger in a hurry to keep them in playoff contention.
15. ATOIAF
Two lopsided loses might have shaken the faith in some of ATOIAF’s fans. The coaching staff will have to adjust quick as their schedule has some winnable games in the first quarter and then quickly becomes a gauntlet.
16. Porto Reconquistas
Porto should have been a contender … okay that sounds better doing the Brando voice in my office … but I digress. The former playoff team shocked the league by suddenly becoming CPU owned. Another team bites the dust.
Alpha Power Rankings: Week 1
1. Paris Philharmonic
Two tough loses in the pre-season is not a good way to start the year. Still, the defending WEPL champs are the number one team until someone proves otherwise. A great match-up in Week 1 pits Paris against the Pimps for the second time in four games. If Paris can find a way to win, they will be lined up for a very fast start.
2. Woodridge Lumberjacks
Woodridge is still one of GLB’s elite teams and an impressive win over the Pimps to end the pre-season puts them on the right track to reclaim the Alpha crown. Facing a balanced schedule, the Lumberjacks should be able to get off to a quick start.
3. Berlin Blitzkrieg
If the pre-season is any indication, Berlin has taken another step forward. Already one a perennial playoff team from Alpha, Berlin looked great in a shootout win over Rotterdam and put up a good fight against the powerful Destroyers. A nightmare of an opening schedule, Berlin has to face Stockholm, The Monarchs and Woodridge back to back to back. Yikes!
4. London Monarchs
The Monarchs didn’t get off to the start they wanted in the pre-season. Facing two rookie Zeta teams, the Monarchs split going 1-1. However their offense looked sharp, generating 75 points along the way. Sadly, the D gave up 76. But pre-season is meaningless, right? The Monarchs better hope so.
5. Black Watch
Like the Aggies and Monarchs, Black Watch only faced two other new WEPL teams in the preason. Still, they looked impressive on both sides of the ball. This is a team that could end up surprising some folks.
6. Fightin’ Texas Aggies
An undefeated preseason where the offense scored 98 points is enough to get excited about. However it has to be noted that success came at the expense of two rookie teams. Still, the Aggies seem to have found some additional firepower in the off-season.
7. London Minotaurs
Another newbie this high in the rankings? I must be high, right?! Sadly, no. But call this one a hunch.
8. Toledo Swords
I know, I know, how can I rank the mighty Toledo Swords behind two new teams?! Well I’m still not high, but I am high on Toledo’s prospects this year (come on, you love delicious word play like that) – or was before that ugly 56 to 10 loss to the Longnecks. Still a soft opening schedule should allow Toledo to jump out to a 7-0 or 6-1 start.
9. Aberdeen Wrecking Crew
This is a team with a lot of high expectations on its shoulders thanks to its terrific off-season. However, the pre-season showed us that it might take more time than most expected before all the new pieces click. That’s not good considering how tough their opening schedule is.
10. Chicago Rocks
Might be ranked a shade too high but their offense has looked impressive – sadly their defense has not. The Week 1 game against the Longnecks will be a good test. Since they don’t face a playoff team until Week 6, Chicago has to jump out to a 4-1 or at least a 3-2 start to put themselves in contention.
11. Lake Charles Who’s Dats
An ugly loss to Multiple and a forgettable win over Porto leaves a lot to wonder about this club.
12. Wembley Warriors
The Warriors did not face any veteran WEPL teams in the pre-season as they went 1-1. They will need to find consistency fast as a tough match up with the Aggies opens their year.
13. Stuttgart Nighthawks
With tough games against Paris and Toledo to open Alpha play, Stuttgart needs to get off to a fast start against Sevilla.
14. Dinas Mawddwy Red Bandits
Has to hope the pre-season was just that …
15. E-City Mercenaries
E-City had one of the toughest draws in the preseason as they faced Korb and Rotterdam and looked miserable in both. They don’t have time to rest as they face the recharged Scorgasms in Week 1. If you’re a fan of defense, don’t watch this game.
16. Carthage Army of Darkness
Darkness may come sooner than Carthage would like as it will take a brilliant season to stave off relegation.
Game Previews
Antwerp Annihilators at Aberdeen Wrecking Crew
Breakdown: Aberdeen overhauled their roster with an influx of former Troll players in the off-season. Key to their rebuilding project was the addition of perennial MVP candidate QB JJ Flicker and WR JJ Missile. However in the pre-season JJ Flicker seemed slow to adapt as the star QB tossed 5 INTs to just 3 TDs. Adding to the offensive troubles has been the inconsistent running game. With so many talented HBs on the roster, it might be a case of too many cooks in the kitchen. Either way, Aberdeen has a lot more question marks than they anticipated as they head into the regular season.
Antwerp rolled through their AAA competition in the pre-season without breaking much of a sweat. A bruising ground game dominated time of possession as well as the scoreboard. The big concern is the high amount of fumbles lost (4) and INTs (3) – something the Annihilators will have to remedy against the opportunistic Wrecking Crew. The Antwerp secondary piled up 3 INTs of their own and will be hoping to feast against the still shaky Aberdeen offense.
Prediction: This should be a good match-up as it is an early test for two teams with playoff aspirations. Aberdeen has the horses, but they haven’t shown the ability to utilize them quite yet. I don’t expect that to change this week. Antwerp takes it 34-27.
Berlin Blitzkrieg at Stockholm Meatballs
Breakdown: Berlin has long been a team that prides itself on its ability to run and stop the run. They will be tested fully against Stockholm’s 1-2 punch of Mal Brown and The Glow. The pressure will be on DTs Ladanian Takleson and Killer Ace to clog up the middle and force the Meatballs’ new QB Gunn Slinger to go to the air. Offensively, Berlin will have to be balanced, relying on HB Zipper Head and QB Ewiv Enor to control the clock and not turn the ball over.
Stockholm has looked impressive in the pre-season but will need to be in top form to knock off the Blitzkrieg. While the new pieces of the defense have gelled quickly, the new weapons in the receiving corps remain largely a question mark. If Stockholm is forced to air it out, it could be anyone’s game.
Prediction: I’m unbelievably biased in this one, however I think it’s going to be a heck of a game. I expect a low scoring match that will hinge on a big play or two by the defense. Stockholm wins it 27-13.
Black Watch at UK Patriots
Breakdown: This is another curious match-up as it pits two rookie WEPL teams against one another. Despite Black Watch’s edge on paper (and it’s a sizeable one), the Patriot’s passing attack has been terrific in the pre-season – enough so to make this a closer than expected game. Black Watch gave up 322 yards passing to Berlin in their last pre-season game, something that will have to change quickly. The pressure will be on CB Pacman Scofflaw to raise the team INT total from it’s lowly number (only 1 in the pre-season) while OLB Fo’Dee Ounce will have to provide the pressure on QB Jim Roberts.
For the Patriots it’s no secret what they like to do or what they need to do. Their offense needs to put up points in bunches to ease the burden on their undermaned defense. It’s going to be interesting to see if the Patriots can figure out a way to sustain drives without much of a rushing game and keep the Black Watch offense off the field.
Prediction: There aren’t many great match-ups in Week 1, but this one should at least be entertaining. Black Watch is the better team and will find a way to win this one despite a mighty effort from Roberts. Black Watch 42 – UK Patriots 38.
Game of the Week
Paris Philharmonic at Rivals Mainboard Pimps
Breakdown: These teams might just be getting sick of one another. This will be the 3rd time in 4 games that the two teams have met – appropriately the series is tied 1 to 1. Of course the Philharmonics do have a certain trophy that the Pimps would love to have on their mantle.
The first two match-ups between these teams were dynamite. From Paris’s 1 point WEPL Championship win to the Pimps narrow 3 point victory in the pre-season. There’s no reason not to expect another classic in Week 1.
The Pimps’ new HB Tremaine Stephens has quickly fallen into a groove with the electric Lee Suggs. In the pre-season both backs combined for 387 yards and 4 TDs (3 of those TDs came at Paris’s expense). However QB Phillipp Pohl has struggled, passing for just over 200 yards with 3 INTs and just 1 TD. The Pimps will need Pohl to find his Pro Bowl form quickly as Paris will do everything it can to shut down Suggs and Stephens.
Paris had a rough pre-season losing a tight game to the Pimps and then getting dominated by Stockholm. The pressure will be on the defense to shore up the mistakes as they had 18 missed tackles against the Meatballs while allowing both their feature backs to rush for over 6 yards a carry. If the Paris front seven can’t step up their game against the equally potent tandem of Suggs and Stephens, it could be a long day for the Philharmonic.
Prediction: This will be an exciting game but you can’t help but feel that the Pimps are more confident heading into this one. Expect another classic but this time the Pimps win 34-20.
Rest of the Week 1 Predictions
Now … for the rest of the predictions without the breakdown.
Paris Musketeers at Lake Charles Who Dats: Paris wins 27-13.
Fightin’ Texas Aggies at Berlin Ballers: Aggies win 38-30.
Wembley Warriors at Reykjavik Aggies: Aggies win 40-20.
Black Forest Mercenaries at London Monarchs: BFM win 31-30.
Multiple Scorgasms at E-City Mercenaries: MUL wins 50-17.
Sevilla Naranjas at Stuttgart Nighthawks: Nighthawks win 48-37.
Toledo Swords at ATOIAF: Toledo wins 38-23.
Lyon Dynasty at Woodridge Lumberjacks: Wujax win 39-13.
Korb Destroyers at Dinas Mawyddwy Red Badits: Korb wins 47-3.
Carthage Army of Darkness at Rotterdam Roughnecks: ROT wins 58-3.
Porto Reconquistas at London Minotaurs: London wins … by a lot.
Chicago Rocks at PPP Longnecks: PPP wins 43-10.
Last edited Nov 10, 2008 15:43:23
