Week 14 Preview

[Paul-London]

Its here, the final week of the regular season, most playoff spots are already filled but theres a race for the final one in the EFC and also the AFC....

New York at Ohio

New York wont want to go in the playoffs on the back of a 2 game losing streak but they face a very tough game away in Ohio.  Ohio have to win this to hope to make the playoffs, if Birmingham win also the series is tied between them at 1-1 and their divisional record may favour Ohio but that is yet to be determined.  Ohio need a win and have won 2 straight games and are 4-2 at home but they will face the toughest team in the AFC.  New York were shocked last week by Sacramento but did seem to have their foot off the gas.

Ohio by 3

San Antonio at Birmingham

With the Riders in the playoffs will they start some backups ?  Would make life easier for Birmingham who despite a great game last week have lost two straight games and badly need a win here.  Birmingham are only 3-3 at home and will face the Riders who had a great away win last week in Rhein.  If Birmingham lose they probably will be out of the playoffs

Birmingham by 1

Orlando at Sacramento

The Surge may still have a chance for the final playoff spot if they win this game and Birmingham and Ohio both lose but it looks unlikely.  A win here though would put them at .500, for Orlando its been a very poor season and they were winless at home, at least theyre better away where they are 3-3.  A loss here may give Orlando the top pick in the draft or for sure a top 5 pick.

Sacramento by 7

Montreal at Mexico

Disappointing loss last week for Montreal, even worse was the loss of DT Paul Spicer.  Mexico can still play good football and stand a chance to win this but Montreal will want double digit wins on the season and will probably play their starters, then again after the loss of Spicer they may resort to backups everywhere.

Montreal by 3

Rhein at Frankfurt

Game of the week, winner takes all.  Whoever wins will go to the playoffs, whoever doesnt will stay at home.  Frankfurt have to start favourites, theyre playing very well with HB Skip Hicks starting who had a huge game last week, Rhein lost a tough game at home to the Riders and will want to bounce back.  Could be tough.

Frankfurt by 3

Raleigh-Durham at Amsterdam

There may be a very very slim chance of the Skyhawks making the playoffs but it looks like their hopes are over.  They travel to Amsterdam where Amsterdam could tie the all time record of 13 wins in the regular season.  The Skyhawks are 4-1 their last 5 games and are playing very well but Amsterdam are a different class this year.

Amsterdam by 7

Barcelona at Berlin

With Pat Barnes now hobbling instead of on crutches he willl surprisingly start Week 14 perhaps the final game of his career.  Barnes has a bad injury but Berlin management want him to get that final 50 yards to pass 45,000 yards passing.  Barcelona at times have played very well but have a lot of holes on defense and dont always score enough points.  Their offense was on fire last week but it was still a loss.

Barcelona by 1

London at Paris

Could be a fight for a top 3 draft pick in the 1st round.  London look better the second half of the season, young backup QB BJ Symons was excellent last week but how will he play away from home where London have struggled ?  Paris are good at home, terrible away, lucky for them theyre at home.  Could be a good shootout

Paris by 3

Scotland at Austria

Could have been an epic game for the EFC West but Austria are champs and are 6-0 at home and will face Scotland who they will face one week later again in Austria in the wildcard round.  Both teams 'may' start backups so their opponent doesnt know what to face in the playoff game.  Meaningless game but both teams will want to avoid injuries for the rematch a week later.

Austria by 3

[Niki]

Raleigh-Durham at Amsterdam

There may be a very very slim chance of the Skyhawks making the playoffs but it looks like their hopes are over.  They travel to Amsterdam where Amsterdam could tie the all time record of 13 wins in the regular season.  The Skyhawks are 4-1 their last 5 games and are playing very well but Amsterdam are a different class this year.

Amsterdam by 7

even do I am already sure I am ranked #1 overall (even when I lose and New York wins, my conf record is better) I will start with the best possible line up, it will be Heurta's return.

[Paul-London]

Well its difficult as you dont want to think too far ahead as that could jinx you but if you did make it to the FWL Bowl and you werent the 'home' team because of your record then that would be huge.  As you know in the FWL Bowl the team with the best record hosts the game which is a big advantage.

I dont think Raleigh can make it, i havent worked out everythinig, they could be tied 7-7 with other teams if they win but that probably wont happen so for now i wont tax my brain and work out what happens if they win and Ohio/Birm lose !

[Niki]

Well its difficult as you dont want to think too far ahead as that could jinx you but if you did make it to the FWL Bowl and you werent the 'home' team because of your record then that would be huge. 

but I am already sure that if I play in the FWL bowl, I am the home team, if I lose and NY win in week 14, we have the same record but I have a perfect division and conference record, and NY lost two division games so I just play full strenght because that is teh most fair way to play and well I just hate it when I lose

[Niki]

it will be Heurta's return.

to the hospital 

[jcompton-Orlando]

I don't know if this is a "good" thing or a "bad" thing but I do have to say that very little happened this season which makes me rethink my decision to stop playing.

- Frankfurt makes the playoffs. NY, Montreal, and Austria have home playoff games. Somebody get me a heart specialist. The shock is just too much.

- Paul managed to go 5-5 with his Surge East team, ostensibly a better one than I was fielding but establishing to my satisfaction that there was hardly a missing secret ingredient. I also couldn't help noticing Symons' 3 fumbles in the span of 2 games. Curious side note--Paul joins the "elite" ranks of GMs who managed to win 8 games in a season but not make the playoffs, this time doing so in very novel fashion (splitting his 8 wins across two different teams, both of which failed to make the postseason.)

- Taking nothing away from Niki but it's weird, 13-1 runs in this league don't seem to have a lot of drama. Certainly this was better than the Austrian Autopilot season, but I guess the Admirals were just on such a roll, and the rest of the division so quickly far behind, that it seemed almost inevitable.

[Paul-London]

Well we have some very good GM's in the league with some very good teams so its no wonder most of the teams in the AFC are the usual.  I think David has done a good job changing the Montreal dynasty over time, eg Phillips - Corey Walker, his WR's are changing and perhaps Ragone will start sometime in the future.  Instead of getting old he has good talent on defense he has traded and drafted.

Even though it may be the same teams theres still some decent teams just below that level, eg Ohio are a good team, Birmingham made it this year, Raleigh was two different sides this year, the latter team with Curtis Alexander was much better and even beat Montreal twice.

Amsterdam are playing great football all round and i thought Niki did an amazing job at 13-1 , theres some tough teams in the EFC with Austria and its superstars, two time FWL Bowl champs Frankfurt and some up and coming teams in Rhein and Scotland who played some great old-skool football this year.

As for London obviously i got some help by taking over my Surge favourites, i could have gone for some better players, eg CB BJ Tucker and some other young studs like Travis Anglin but i do love my old vets like Word and Riley (Sadly Riley didnt have an int this year !)

I am concerned about Symons fumbling but on the whole he looks very good.  You left me with some decent talent to work with.  Quite strange that Matt Lytles first great season (9 td's 0 ints) and he cant get a starting spot !

I think the gap between the playoff teams and the teams below them has shrunk this year.  TC did a good job with Sacramento, Delhomme was a bit erractic and that OL doesnt open up holes for Askew but that team isnt too far off, signing Vince Washington was a master move.

Berlin could be good once those vets retire as Andreas is obviously very very loyal to them.  Scotland look to be very good, Ronnies done a great job with that team, at first it seemed a bit of a fluke in the early running but that team is very solid all round. 

Its going to be fascinating seeing what happens with Montreal/San Antonio once their QB's get older.  Montreal seem to have a good backup in Ragone but despite more years left from Bishop gonna be interesting to see the transition

I'm in the middle, i hate the free agency NFL where one team is 4-12 then goes 12-4 a year later or the reverse, i like the pre cap days like the 80's where you had a dominating team for several years.  If the FWL had so many different playoff teams year in year out i think that would be weird.  Theres always been dominant teams, eg Frankfurt/Rhein in the early years, then Austria etc.  In the AFC Birmingham then Montreal.

But despite some of the same teams i think the playoffs are gonna be great as theres some great teams who have had some great playoff games the past few seasons together.