Thunder Week 11 By The Numbers: Results and Preview

Sacked! That was the theme for the Duluth Eskimos (8-2) as they fell on the road to the Basterds (9-1) at “Basterds Ground” 34-20. They were indeed grounded, allowing 7 sacks, and although they were able to convert 1st downs after a few of them, other sacks forced them into long field goal misses. The Basterds were pretty electric on offense as well, as manager Jetto opted to pass the ball 56 times vs 23 rushes - despite leading the entire game. S30 1st round draftee (#12 overall) WR Henrikas Skucas had 10 catches for 100 yards(10.0 avg), 61 yards after the catch (6.1 avg), a long of 32 yards, 3 broken tackles, 1 drop, and 4 touchdowns. Also, the Basterds defense didn't have to guess much as to what the Eskimos were doing offensively as they rushed 0 times in the second half.

Buy that man a beer! 22-year-old S40 - 1st round draftee (#15 overall) QB Rob Ainsworth took over with 6:53 left in the 4th quarter, down 24-20 on his own 22-yard line, and in 13 plays (including a 4th down conversion), took part in the winning touchdown pass with 1:35 left on the clock, as the Kokomo Mantis (7-3) beat the Fredericksburg Comanches (7-3) 27-24 at “ Kokomo Municipal Stadium”. His throwing arm was on ice afterward, as he threw a whopping 71 times, completing 47 of them (66%), for 411 yards (5.8 avg), 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and a 90.76 rating. He needed all 47 completions as the Mantis running game only mustered up 33 yards on 20 rushing attempts (1.7 avg). This game had 4 lead changes, with the Comanches 21-13 - 3rd quarter lead being the biggest margin all game. Mr. Ainsworth... This is for you.

Next time set the alarm clock and you'll avoid being late. The Waukesha Wolverines (6-4) outscored the Vienna Falcons (9-1) 17 - 7 to end the game, beginning with their impressive 55 yard field goal with 15 seconds left to go in the 1st half. Too bad they were already down 17-0. As a result, the Falcons won this game at home 24-17 in front of the 139,605 fans that packed “ Your Worst Nightmare”. The Falcons won despite only 11 first downs, 61 rushing yards on 45 attempts (1.4 avg), and going 0-2 on 4th down. WR Troy Leggitt even failed to reach 100 yards or score a touchdown! The Falcons 23 year old - 6.1 million transfer buy - and former BobBoy Magpies S37 youth pull - Vincent Medlin stole the show. He tallied 6 catches for 116 yards (19.3 avg), a long of 80 yards, 95 yards after the catch (15.8 avg),1 broken tackle, 1 drop, and 3 touchdowns.

The Valiant Pinoys (8-2), Deflators (9-1), Vicious Attack Dogs (9-1), Barossa Bulldogs (7-3), Istanbul Whitings (10-0), Totoras Patriots (5-5), and Woflings (9-1) all proved to be better prepared than their opponents, while Bulldozer (8-2), Kalpana Wild Thangs (8-2), STATE oF (5-5), and Xu Da (6-4) all beat bots.


Upcoming Games To Watch

Barossa Bulldogs (7-3) @ Waukesha Wolverines (6-4)
Deflators ( 9-1) @ Xu Da (6-4)
Kokomo Mantis (7-3) @ Wolflings (9-1)
Valiant Pinoys (8-2) @ Duluth Eskimos (8-2)
Vicious Attack Dogs (9-1) @ Vienna Falcons (9-1)


Why Watch Em'

The Barossa Bulldogs have won 4 of their last 5 games and have the 2nd best rushing attack and #1 passing defense in the league. They currently sit in the final AC Wildcard spot and are also 2nd in the AC West, trailing that by 2 games behind the Basterds. The Waukesha Wolverines sit 1 game behind the Mantis for the last NC Wildcard spot and have lost 2 of their last 3 games. The Wolverines boast the 6th best passing offense and 5th best rushing defense. These teams are even in their head-to-head at 1 game apiece with the Bulldogs winning 35-23 last season at home.

The Deflators have won 5 straight, sit as the second seed in the NC, and could clinch the NC North with a win or Jarhead lost. The Deflators have the league's 4th best passing offense and #1 rushing defense. Xu Da enters this game with the #1 passing offense in the league, and winners of 3 in a row. They sit 1 game back of the final wildcard slot and 2 games back of the Wild Thangs for the AC South title. The Deflators have won 8 of the last 10 vs Xu Da (1 Supercup game), but Xu Da has won the last two.

The Mantis have won 3 in a row and sit 2 games back of the Attack Dogs for the NC South crown. The Mantis also find themselves in the 2nd Wild card spot, 1 game ahead of the Wolverines and 2 back of the Falcons. The Mantis has the second-best passing attack in the league. The Wolfings have the 6th best rushing offense, 4th best passing defense, and 3rd best rushing defense in the league. The Woflings lead the AC East by 2 games over the Comanches and hold the 2nd seed in the AC currently. The Woflings, like the Mantis, have won 3 straight. The Wolfings have won 2 of 3 vs the Mantis ( 1 Supercup game), including 42-13 last season.

The winner between the Valiant Pinoys and Duluth Eskimos will take over sole possession of the AC North, in which the Pinoys trail the division by 4 PD (274 - 270). The loser of this game could fall out of the current Wildcard spots as well, although that is unlikely. The Pinoys have won 3 in a row and have the league's 7th best passing offense and 4th best rushing offense. The Eskimos had their 6 game winning streak snapped with the last games lost to the Basterds. The Eskimos have the #1 rushing offense and 4th best rushing defense in the league. The Duluth Eskimos have won the only 2 times these 2 teams have played against each other.

The Vicious Attack Dogs lead the NC South by 2 games over the Mantis and sit in the 3rd seed in the NC playoff race. The Attack Dogs have the 5th best rushing offense and 9th best rushing defense in the league. The Falcons have the 9th best passing offense and currently sit 1 game back behind the Istanbul Whitings for NC East supremacy. The Falcons have a 2 game lead for the first NC wildcard slot over the Mantis. The Falcons have won 6 in a row. The Attack Dogs won the only previous matchup between these 2 teams 55-0 last season.

Mantis 22, Wolflings 7 in our first matchup in the Supercup. It was a lot closer than this though. It could easily be a Wolflings win tomorrow as the Mantis was only up 13-7 going into the 4th.

Great writeup again Kevin! You always are spot on with your games to watch! Tomorrow's game you picked are going to be great!

Game 2 in 2 days against the Wolflings, and this game was not close. Mantis win from the start. It definitely helped to check the game plan out the day before to adjust! Things just worked out well overall in today's game for the Mantis.

Thunder Playoff Races with 5 games remaining

AC

1-Basterds 10-1 (PD 420)
2-Kalapana Wild Thangs 9-2 (PD 422)
3-Duluth Eskimos 9-2 (PD 286)
4-Wolflings 9-2 (PD 203)
5-Barossa Bulldogs 8-3 (PD 281)
6-Valiant Pinoys 8-3 (PD 258)

in the hunt
Fredericksburg Comanches 7-4 (PD 201)
Xu Da 6-5 (PD 140)
Wap Bam Boogie 5-6 (PD 40)
Moorefield Flames 4-7 (PD 79)

NC

1-Istanbul Whitings 11-0 (PD 422)
2-*Deflators 10-1 (PD 354) *(already locked up a playoff spot)
3-Vicious Attack Dogs 10-1 (PD 301)
4-Bulldozer 8-3 (PD 197)
5-Vienna Falcons 9-2 (PD 151)
6-Kokomo Mantis 8-3 (PD 205)

in the hunt
Inbhir Narann 6-5 (PD 248)
Waukesha Wolverines 6-5 (PD 172)
Totoras Patriots 6-5 (PD 150)
STATE of 5-6 (PD 57)
Jarheads 4-7 (PD -31)

Thunder Week 12 By The Numbers: Results and Preview

How important is your 3rd down offense inside the red zone or the opponent's side of the field in general? The Waukesha Wolverines (6-5) defense allowed zero points in the fourth quarter, while the offense scored 4 times when down 28 points to begin the quarter! Overtime right? Not quite. Unfortunately, all four scores were field goals, good enough for 12... not 28 points and they fell at home to Barossa Bulldogs (8-3) 38-22. This loss coupled with the Mantis win, puts the Wolverines 2 games back of the final NC wild card spot. The Bulldogs shut down the run, allowing just 43 yards on 16 carries (2.7 avg). Despite non-impressive numbers from the Bulldogs O-line, the dual QB tandem of 23-year-old-S38-1st round draftee (#22 overall) Reid Witherspoon and 23-year-old-S35 youth promotee Jc Smith managed to play terrific. Combined they went 25 of 34 for 37 yards (7.5 avg), 4 touchdowns, 1 interception, and 0 times sacked. This win coupled with another result (no spoiler alert) put the Bulldogs in the first AC Wildcard spot, and they remain 2 games behind the Basterds for the AC West title.

2 teams tied atop of the AC North collided and combined they put up 934 yards on offense. The Valiant Pinoys who (8-3) won the yardage stat ( 526- 408) lost the game 41-29 on the road vs the Duluth Eskimos (9-2) at “The Igloo” in front of 137,065 fans. The Eskimos now sit 1st in the AC North, while the Pinoys hold the 2nd AC Wildcard spot. 5 out of 7 scores by the Eskimos went for touchdowns while only 3 out of 6 went for touchdowns for the Pinoys. Both teams punted only 3 times. Besides being sacked 2 times, 28-year-old-S34- 1st round draftee (#13 overall) QB Moshe Jacques went 25-39 (64%), 277 yards (7.1 avg), 4 touchdowns, and a 119.28 rating. The Eskimos lead 28-9 at one point in this game and were never threatened after that. These 2 teams meet in week 15 in what should be a playoff-seeding-altering matchup.

Two of the best the NC has to offer also collided in a great game indeed at “Your Worst Nightmare” in front of 138,938 fans... Down 6 points at home with 1:52 left in the game, the Vienna Falcons' (9-2)' dreams of an epic comeback turned into a nightmare. After a 1st down incompletion, 2 straight sacks pitted them with a 4th and 27 from their own 6-yard line. The 4th down attempt went incomplete and the Vicious Attack Dogs (10-1) scored easily to salt the game away 41-28. The Falcons came roaring back from a 31-7 3rd quarter deficit to get within 3 points at 31-28 with 11 minutes left to play. But they had 2 major problems all game. First was their o-line (or QB or both) which gave up 12 sacks for 101 yards lost. The second was 29-year-old S34-1st round draftee (#20 overall) LB D.J. Mullins, who finished with 8 tackles, 1 missed, 8 sacks, 8 tackles for a loss, 1 interception, and 41 MVP points. The Attack Dogs sit 2 games up in the NC South ahead of the Mantis and 3rd in the NC playoff seeding. The Falcons now sit 2 back in the NC East but still hold the 1st Wildcard slot by 1 game over the Mantis.

The Deflators (10-1), Istanbul Whitings (11-0), Kokomo Mantis (8-3), Inbhir Narann (6-5), Totoras Patriots (6-5), and Wap Bam Boogie (5-6) all proved to be better prepared than their opponents while the Basterds (10-1), Moorefield Flames (4-7), Boonley Bulldozers (1-10), Kalapana Wild Thangs (9-2), Jarheads (4-7), and RC Frogs (3-8) beat bots.


Upcoming Games To Watch
Basterds (10-1) @ Barossa Bulldogs (8-3)
Bulldozer (8-3) @ Waukesha Wolverines (6-5)
Duluth Eskimos (9-2) @ Istanbul Whitings (11-0)


Why Watch Em'

The AC West top two teams will collide this week. The AC West 1st place Basterds have 1 hurdle to overcome to win out. It's the AC West 2nd place Barossa Bulldogs. While the Bastards are 2nd in passing offense and 9th in rushing defense, the Bulldogs are 2nd in rushing offense and 1st in passing defense. This is a chess match in the making. The Basterds own the top seed in the AC and a win here should seal the deal even if it won't be official. The Bulldogs hold the 1st AC Wildcard spot, and also should win out after this game. The Basterds have won all 3 matchups in the series including a 44-19 victory earlier this season.

The NC West has a showdown between its top 2 teams. NC West 1st place Bulldozer goes on the road vs NC West 2nd place Waukesha Wolverines. Bulldozer leads the NC West by 2 games and is looking for their 1st Thunder-1 playoff berth and the division title in the same season. Bulldozer sits in the 4th NC playoff seedings. Bulldozer is 4th in rushing offense,10th in passing defense, and 2nd in rushing defense. The Wolverines sit 2 games back from the Mantis in the NC Wildcard race, so this one is important. The Wolverines have lost 3 of their last 4 games. The Wolverines are 5th in passing offense and 4th in rushing defense. The Wolverines have won 3 of the 4 matchups in this series but lost earlier this season 21-16.

The Eskimos are 3-2 vs current playoff teams and no greater measuring stick can await like their next opponent the Istanbul Whitings. The Eskimos' big win over the Pinoys has them in 1st in the AC North and the AC 3rd seed overall. The Eskimos are 1st in rushing offense and 8th in rushing defense. The Eskimos schedule is fairly tough to end the season, so this one is huge. The Whitings remain the only unbeaten in Thunder. They still have the Falcons twice to play, and this game as their only challenges to an unbeaten season. The Whitings are 9th in passing offense, 10th in rushing offense, 6th in passing defense, and 5th in rushing defense. The Whitings have won all 4 matchups between these 2 including a Supercup meeting earlier this season.

Thank you again for a great write up Kevin. I will be watching those games as well. Especially the final one!!!!

Thunder playoff races with 4 games remaining

AC

1-Basterds 11-1 (PD 438) 3 game AC west lead
2-Kalapana Wild Thangs 10-2 (PD 482) 3 game AC south lead
3-Duluth Eskimos 10-2 (PD 289) 1 game AC north lead
4-Wolflings 10-2 (PD 263) 2 game AC east lead
5-Valiant Pinoys 9-3 (PD 274) AC north 2nd
6-Barossa Bulldogs 8-4 (PD 263) AC west 2nd

in the hunt
7-Fredericksburg Comanches 8-4 (PD 261) AC east 2nd, but look at the PD compared to Barossa above
8-Xu Da 7-5 (PD 200) AC south 2nd
9-Wap Bam Boogie 5-7 (PD 24) AC north 3rd. Still technically alive, but PD is not good
10-FBGM 5-7, slim chances
11-Moorefield Flames 4-8, slim chances

NC

1-Istanbul Whitings 11-1 (PD 419) 1 game NC east lead
2-*Deflators 11-1 (PD 414) *wrapped up playoff spot
3-Vicious Attack Dogs 11-1 (PD 353) 2 game NC south lead
4-Bulldozer 8-4 (PD 192) 1 game NC west lead
5-Vienna Falcons 10-2 (PD 160) NC east 2nd
6-Kokomo Mantis 9-3 (PD 264) NC south 2nd

in the hunt
7-Inbhir Narann 7-5 (PD 256) NC south 3rd
8-Waukesha Wolverines 7-5 (PD 177) NC west 2nd
9-Totoras Patriots 6-6 (PD 142) NC south 4th
10-STATE of 5-7 (PD 27) NC west 3rd, has a better chance at a division championship than a wild card spot

****BREAKING NEWS****

Narann's #1 QB to miss the rest of the season through injury having ruptured his achilles.

Back up QB Malakai Feao has only popped on for 17 snaps in 2 league games for figures 9-6-49-1-0 now he has to jump into the deep end with 2 games against Mantis, 1 against Attack Dogs and the other against Jarheads.

That's a tough break indeed. You sure its for all 4 remaining games?