A little look at the next round. Good luck to everyone (except Brighton, of course.. bad luck to you, bad, horrid luck 
)
(1)Amsterdam Fire v. (4)Massillon Grizzlies
What happened last time: Despite gaining over 300 yards on the ground, the Grizzlies were trounced in their first trip to Amsterdam this season. The Fire secondary smothered the Grizzlies' receivers on their few passing attempts, allowing a measly 2.1 yards per pass attempt. Esteban Morales returned a fourth quarter interception 99 yards for a score as the Fire ran away to a 52-17 victory.
Players to watch: The quarterbacks. Amsterdam's Haney and Muscle had a tremendous day throwing for 258 yards and 4 touchdowns. They provided the offensive firepower.
For Massillon, Obie Da'Tiger is going to have to be more productive than his 5 for 13 showing in that first matchup. If the backs can chew up yards on the ground like they did before, he won't have to do it all, but he must find a way to get the ball to his receivers.
Who wins? The Grizzlies had their share of ups and downs late in the year, but don't forget this is a team that won 12 games. However, they'll need some breaks if they want to knock off the Alpha regular season champs.
(2)Judah Lions v. (3)Rotterdam Harbourmasters
What happened last time: The Lions' defense derailed the Harbourmasters en route to a 38-13 victory. Silas Fox was sacked twice, and the Rotterdam ball-carriers managed under 2 yards/carry. Rivers Kurano completed 75% of his passes for 127 yards and a touchdown.
Players to watch: Rotterdam's Joshua Mack had 23 touchdowns on the season. He'll need to be more productive to keep the Lions' defense honest.
Judah's Terrim Anewone had 3 of his team-leading 14 sacks against the Harbourmasters last time out. He'll make life tough on the Harbourmaster signal-callers all day.
Who wins? Judah, particularly their defense, looks to be a tall order for the Harbourmasters. However, Rotterdam, as always, has played its best this season when they are forgotten, overlooked, and underestimated.
(1)Helsinki Hammers v. (4)Ironton Tanks
What happened last time: Seven field goals. Five turnovers. The conference's two best defenses butted heads. The Hammers got an early touchdown following a Graziniano interception. The first half edge held up as neither team found the endzone in the second half, and the Hammers won 26-16.
Players to watch: Hammers' strong safety Santino Graziano. He led their team with 8 takeaways (6 INTs and 2 Fumble Recoveries) and his first quarter interception proved a pivotal point in the first meeting.
Tanks' quarterback Drew Bledsoe. The Tanks could sure use some heroics from their offense, but Bledsoe's number one priority will be eliminating mistakes. His line will have to give him time though.
Who wins? This one is close and could again come down to whichever teams makes fewer mistakes. With these defenses, zero mistakes seems impossible.
(2)Chelsea Cardinals v. (3)Brighton Bears
What happened last time: Chelsea's TJ Owens ran for 240 yards and 4 touchdowns to lead the Cardinals in scoring. Brighton QB Stanley Marsh threw for 269 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Bears, but his 3 interceptions led to 2 Cardinal touchdowns in a game where they couldn't afford to give away points. The 4 takeaways by the Cardinal defense allowed them to pull away from the Bears and win 42-21.
Players to watch: Brighton quarterback/receiver tandem Stanely Marsh and Phil Elliot. These two guys hooked up 133 times during the regular season, 19 times for touchdowns.
Cardinals' running backs, TJ Owens and Disco Dawson. No other runners were more prolific than these two during the regular season. They finished #1 and #2 in the league in yardage, totalling over 6000 yards rushing and 83 touchdowns. To beat the Cardinals, the Bears will have to keep the Chelsea runners in check.
Who wins? The team who scores more points. Very few teams in the league can boast offenses as potent as these two teams. If either offense stumbles, they'll have to recover quickly or be left behind.
)(1)Amsterdam Fire v. (4)Massillon Grizzlies
What happened last time: Despite gaining over 300 yards on the ground, the Grizzlies were trounced in their first trip to Amsterdam this season. The Fire secondary smothered the Grizzlies' receivers on their few passing attempts, allowing a measly 2.1 yards per pass attempt. Esteban Morales returned a fourth quarter interception 99 yards for a score as the Fire ran away to a 52-17 victory.
Players to watch: The quarterbacks. Amsterdam's Haney and Muscle had a tremendous day throwing for 258 yards and 4 touchdowns. They provided the offensive firepower.
For Massillon, Obie Da'Tiger is going to have to be more productive than his 5 for 13 showing in that first matchup. If the backs can chew up yards on the ground like they did before, he won't have to do it all, but he must find a way to get the ball to his receivers.
Who wins? The Grizzlies had their share of ups and downs late in the year, but don't forget this is a team that won 12 games. However, they'll need some breaks if they want to knock off the Alpha regular season champs.
(2)Judah Lions v. (3)Rotterdam Harbourmasters
What happened last time: The Lions' defense derailed the Harbourmasters en route to a 38-13 victory. Silas Fox was sacked twice, and the Rotterdam ball-carriers managed under 2 yards/carry. Rivers Kurano completed 75% of his passes for 127 yards and a touchdown.
Players to watch: Rotterdam's Joshua Mack had 23 touchdowns on the season. He'll need to be more productive to keep the Lions' defense honest.
Judah's Terrim Anewone had 3 of his team-leading 14 sacks against the Harbourmasters last time out. He'll make life tough on the Harbourmaster signal-callers all day.
Who wins? Judah, particularly their defense, looks to be a tall order for the Harbourmasters. However, Rotterdam, as always, has played its best this season when they are forgotten, overlooked, and underestimated.
(1)Helsinki Hammers v. (4)Ironton Tanks
What happened last time: Seven field goals. Five turnovers. The conference's two best defenses butted heads. The Hammers got an early touchdown following a Graziniano interception. The first half edge held up as neither team found the endzone in the second half, and the Hammers won 26-16.
Players to watch: Hammers' strong safety Santino Graziano. He led their team with 8 takeaways (6 INTs and 2 Fumble Recoveries) and his first quarter interception proved a pivotal point in the first meeting.
Tanks' quarterback Drew Bledsoe. The Tanks could sure use some heroics from their offense, but Bledsoe's number one priority will be eliminating mistakes. His line will have to give him time though.
Who wins? This one is close and could again come down to whichever teams makes fewer mistakes. With these defenses, zero mistakes seems impossible.
(2)Chelsea Cardinals v. (3)Brighton Bears
What happened last time: Chelsea's TJ Owens ran for 240 yards and 4 touchdowns to lead the Cardinals in scoring. Brighton QB Stanley Marsh threw for 269 yards and 2 touchdowns for the Bears, but his 3 interceptions led to 2 Cardinal touchdowns in a game where they couldn't afford to give away points. The 4 takeaways by the Cardinal defense allowed them to pull away from the Bears and win 42-21.
Players to watch: Brighton quarterback/receiver tandem Stanely Marsh and Phil Elliot. These two guys hooked up 133 times during the regular season, 19 times for touchdowns.
Cardinals' running backs, TJ Owens and Disco Dawson. No other runners were more prolific than these two during the regular season. They finished #1 and #2 in the league in yardage, totalling over 6000 yards rushing and 83 touchdowns. To beat the Cardinals, the Bears will have to keep the Chelsea runners in check.
Who wins? The team who scores more points. Very few teams in the league can boast offenses as potent as these two teams. If either offense stumbles, they'll have to recover quickly or be left behind.
Last edited Sep 5, 2008 00:49:28
. Good luck Grizzlies 
