As you are doing your playbook, remember to add kick Field Goal at the end of 4th if drawn or if losing 1-3... "someone" lost a friendly cup game because of that

Cheers, will keep working at it. Im adding and adapting as i see the results come in.

English Eagles 23-21 Ghost of Bautzen

The Eagles employed 'Game of the Year' against the unfortunate Bautzen, and finally arrested a run of straight defeats.

With the Playbook in constant evolution currently the off season will be a welcome chance for the Eagles to experiment ready for Season 51.

The team is coming along nicely, particularly on the offence.

Work is still certainly needed on the Defensive Line and Linebacker and the Eagles will scour the transfer market to help plug some gaps.

Some high earners will leave the squad over the coming weeks also.

Defences were on top in the First Quarter with a solitary Shirt Field Field Goal putting the scores at 3-0 Eagles after 1

The 2nd Quarter saw a little more offensive action. Balandis connecting with Carver on a 49 yard pass.

This was followed almost immediately with a Forced Fumble by the Eagles Defence and resulted in a FG. All Good for the Eagles at 13-0


Bautzens offense which hadn't quite got off the plane from Japan finally showed up just before the hard, connecting with a 40 yard Touchdown pass before missing a 23 yard Field Goal just before the half.

13-7 at the Half

Bautzen would close further in the 3rd quarter. The Eagles managed just a Field Goal after driving right up to the GOB 8 yard line coming away with a FG. Bautzen would reply with a TD

16-14 with a quarter to play.

With 9 minutes remaining Bautzen finally took the lead, driving 80 yards for a 17 yard Passing TD

The Eagles replied with a 80 yard drive of their own draining 7 minutes from the clock to retake the lead. They scored with a 30 yard pass from Balandris to Carver on a third and long attempt.

This left Bautzen 2.12 to find a game winning FG

With 50 seconds remaining on 2nd down Bautzen attempted a 56 yard FG which was no good, handing the win to the Eagles.

Breaking News from Kestrel Road...

After what has been actually the Eagles most successful season, finishing with a 10-6 Record in a difficult Division Head Coach Tom Rajah has impressed upon Owner Peter to invest in the squad.

Rajah has highlighted the Defensive Line, Linebacker and Running Back Positions as in need of the most attention.

With this in mind the Eagles have made their first signing for next season

£15 Million has been spent on English Linebacker Neville Quigley. Neville is a 23 Year Old Linebacker with bags of potential. With 50 Intelligence, 50 Strength and 50 Speed Neville looks set to be a future star.

Other signings are expected in due course with Peter handing a £75Million War Chest to Coach Rajah to strengthen key positions

Transfer Record broken

The Eagles have broken their transfer record after confirming the signing of Vito Bourque from Alert Polar Bears.

The Defensive Lineman was signed for a massive £37,500,000

Head Coach Rajah is rumored to be contemplating a move to Middle Linebacker for the 25 Year Old, however thus far he has been listed as a DL.

With a significant amount of the Rumored Transfer Budget gone, Butcher remains hopeful of finding a Offensive Lineman and a Running Back.

Season Preview

AC EAST

Bombers - Highball - Ranked 22
Devon Warriors - devon70 - Ranked 6
Jaxinburgh SteelCats - nefloridian - Ranked 18
Mavericks - Who day - Ranked 13

The AC East have a Wild Card in their midst this season as the Jaxinburgh Steel Cats have joined from the Galaxy League. The Steel Cats finished 8-8 last season and join the Sea Devils as the Number 18 Ranked Side in the League. Boasting a 68% Passing Rating the Steel Cats will need to spring a surprise to challenge the AC East status quo.

devon70 leads the 6th ranked Devon Warriors who would be rightfully classed as a Sea Devils Heavyweight. They are a stalwart of Redzone starting way back in Season 2. They have spent 2 seasons in the Elite League, as recently as Season 47. They sport one of the best Pass Defences in the League. The Mavericks and The Warriors have been battling it out for supremacy of the AC East since Season 48, with the Mavericks topping the Division in S48. The Warriors have dominated ever since, heading into the Playoffs full of confidence in S50 only to be shocked by a well drilled Constanta Ravens Side.

The Mavericks have only been around since S46 and are Ranked 13th in the Sea Devils League. Sporting a strong 70+% Defence and running they managed a 26:17 Win over the Devon Warriors last season. Is this a sign of things to come? The Mavericks may once again rely on their star Running Back Jaroslav Kutil, whose 4450 yards in Season 50 led the Division.

Bombers make up the AC East and have their work cut out for them in Season 51. With just £200,000 spent on wages and a 50% Average Rating im sure The Bombers are plotting a longer term route to success.

Prediction

1. Devon Warriors
2. Mavericks
3. SteelCats
4. Bombers

It would take a brave man to call anyone but the Warriors finishing Top of the AC East in Season 51. The Mavericks have some great players but may have a tussle with the SteelCats for 2nd Position.

Deleted

Season Preview - A Redo

AC EAST

DEVON WARRIORS - Ranked 6th Team Rating 79%
JAXINBURGH STEELCATS - Ranked 18th Team Rating 66%
MAVERICKS - Ranked 14th Team Rating 71%
BOMBERS - Ranked 22nd - Team Rating 51%

Tough to look past Devon in the AC East, a veteran of the game im sure the Warriors will be looking to find themselves another Elite Season to add to their 2 previous. The challenge most likely will come from the emerging Mavericks. Tom Cruise is a big celebrity backer of the side, and im sure Who day will be plotting a Highway to the Elite Zone. Thats not to discount the SteelCats (whatever a Steel Cat is) , neflordian has joined us from a far away Galaxy, and will hope to steal that playoff place away.

AC NORTH

CONSTANTA RAVENS - Ranked 16th Team Rating 66%
SCHRODINGERS CATS - Ranked 7th Team Rating 67%
ANGELLAND LIONS - Ranked 13th Team Rating 73%
VAXJO VIKINGS - Ranked 1st Team Rating 50%

The AC North is a relative NOAHS ARC - as the Ravens, Cats and Lions go head to head. With the Season 49 Sea Devils Champion Vaxjo Vikings entering rebuild mode, cutting pretty much the whole squad on their return from Elite, the AC NORTH is wide open. The Ravens are becoming known for their Giant Killings but ama go with the ratings on this one and predict newcomers ANGELLAND LIONS nick the top spot by the skin of their teeth. Ravens and Cats will be close for second.

AC SOUTH

GLASGOW TIGERS - Ranked 9th - Team Rating 76%
SAGITTA PIONEERS - Ranked 27th - Team Rating 49%
DRAS PATRIOTS - Ranked 32nd - Team Rating 48% (Going Bot)
MORCHAIN CHARGERS - Ranked 24th - Team Rating 57%

Pretty much a Scottish Slam Dunk this one, with the Tigers far and away the strongest team in the division. The Morchain Chargers should find themselves in 2nd, but a playoff place seems unlikely

AC WEST

GHOST OF BAUTZEN - Ranked 5th - Team Rating 73%
KONJARNIK HIGHTOWERS - Ranked 8th - Team Rating 80%
ENGLISH EAGLES - Ranked 15th - Team Rating 70%
PORUBA JEREMIES - Ranked 21st - Team Rating 53%

The Hightowers went 16-0 in this division last season - but im not so sure it will be another 'perfect regular season' for ulero. Bautzen have been around since Season 16, having two tastes of Elite in that time, im sure they are hungry for another. They may have a fight on their hands from the Eagles, who have worked hard and added quality to their side in recent weeks. The ever errant Edgaris at QB will probably hold them back. For the Jeremies it will be a season of building, with the hope of pulling off some victories against those teams around them. It will i believe finish as it did last season, with the Hightowers and Bautzen heading for the playoffs, with the Eagles hoping to snatch a place from 3rd.

NC EAST

DNIPROS DENDROIDS - Ranked 17th Team Rating 57%
DIRTY BOTTOM BOYS - Ranked 25th Team Rating 51%
SAN DIEGO MATZAH BALLERS - Ranked 23rd - Team Rating 53%
DIRTY DUCKS - Ranked 30th - Team Rating 53%

So many D's in this Division. DNIPROS, DIRTY, DIEGO, DUCKS - Who will prevail? The lowest ranked division by some way (is that why everyone is named Dirty?) the Denroids will fancy themselves to take the NC EAST and a playoff place.

NC NORTH

CONSTANTA SAILORS - Ranked 20th Team Rating 64%
HAMBURG BALTI DOGS - Ranked 29th Team Rating 53%
SH COUGARS - Ranked 12th Team Rating 60%
CORDOBA KHALIFAS - Ranked 31st Team Rating 49%

This will be a Sailors v Cougars Division, with both vying for top spot and a playoff place. I don't envisage both teams making it to the playoffs. The Cougars have a fantastic ranking of 12th after a fantastic 12-4 season last time round (in which, yes, both teams made the playoffs). Welcome to the Khalifas who will build this season, with a hope to being competitive soon.

NC SOUTH

ST PAULI PACKERS - Ranked 11th Team Rating 68%
SOCIAL DISTANCE RUNNERS - Ranked 3rd Team Rating 74%
VAMOSAHI - Ranked 2nd Team Rating 76%
KING WOLF - Ranked 26th Team Rating 49%

Wow, Sea Devils is definitely the place to be, with a former Dragon (Packers) and former Admiral (Vamosahi) joining the ranks and making the NC SOUTH a very difficult division. The Distance Runners for me remain slight favorites but it looks set to be a massive battle for bragging rights and playoff places. Vamosahi have won their division for the last 12 years in a row - but havent tasted Gold since Season 9, or Elite since Season 21.

The Runners have been around since Season 8 (were they a member of the old Grid-Iron - part of me seems to think they were?) and i suspect we will see them in the playoffs come season end.

NC WEST

STONE MOUNTAIN HAWKS - Ranked 4th Team Rating 75%
VANCOUVER CONSAIRS - Ranked 10th Team Rating 70%
MICHIGAN WEASELS - Ranked 28th Team Rating 55%
CHICAGO CUBS - Ranked 19th Team Rating 47%

With Cubs, Hawks and Weasels all going at it, many in this division are asking, what on earth is a consair?

Anyway...

Former Claymore and Elite Member from Season 46 to Season 49 the Hawks could be a force to be reckoned with in the Sea Devils. Unless ive missed someone (and im sorry if i did) the Hawks are the only Elite Division Winner in the whole of S51 Sea Devils.

The Consairs have had it all their own way in Season 49/50, however it will be a bigger ask this season and they may have to settle for 2nd place. It i believe will be close. The Weasels are building very quickly and could become a force by S52, whilst the Cubs, who have been around forever, havent won anything since Season 35. For me its the Hawk v The Consairs for Divisional Glory.


The season is wide open in terms of playoff places.

Prediction?


KONJARNIK v STONE MOUNTAIN

these are good reads and I think you're projections look pretty good so far. One thing to watch is that team ratings are a bit off after rollover. Not until the first game will they be better reflected (which is why I think Vikings have a huge score right now)

Re did my season preview