Zero Guarantees: Season 14 Quarterfinals Part One

Jett Zero, Ray Bentley
Banner Image by Andy Hamilton

Before we get to things, I must first extend my congratulations to the Queen City Corsairs and the Chicago Wildcats for their Wildcard round wins, as well as offer them my hearty thanks. Even though I play for one of the teams eliminated today, our record here at Zero Guarantees is a spotless 2-0 through the playoffs so far. Better than that is that I am technically Jett Zero’s boss here in the Beat Team, so even though we celebrate his win with Queen City tonight, I know exactly who will volunteer to clean out the Beat Writer Storage Shed tomorrow. Once again, congratulations Jett! Be careful of spiders in the shed!

With that, we have our first round of Quarterfinal picks for you tonight. For those keeping score, the Community WhoYaGot has selected overwhelmingly Sioux Falls and Jacksonville as the victors tomorrow; with our picks, we will soon see who pulls ahead. Good luck to everyone on the field this weekend, and welcome, yet again, to another edition of Zero Guarantees!

	#6 Charleston Predators 21 # 3 Sioux Falls Sparrows 23 Sunday, April 12 \| 3:00pm EST [FTF] Looking ahead at this first Quarterfinal match-up on Sunday, and it’s tough not to root for BOTH of these teams to advance. Since their addition to the league in Season 6, Sioux Falls has made it to the post-season 7 out of 9 times (including this season) but have yet to make it to even the Semi-Finals. Fun fact: out of their 6 post-season losses, 5 of those have been at the hands of the eventual champs of that season, while they lost to the runner-up Denver Nightwings in Season 12. As a sports fan in general, I am rooting for these guys NOT to get dunked on again in the Quarterfinals. On the other hand, the Predators (previously Indianapolis Red Devils/Spitfire from Season 10-12) only made the playoffs in their inaugural season, back in Season 10, a Quarterfinals loss to the then Tallahassee Pride. Clearly, both franchises deserve a shot at the big dance, and their stellar play this season has earned them said chance. Unfortunately, only one team can advance past Sunday, and I predict it will be the #3 seed walking away with a home victory this weekend. As dominant as Charleston’s defense is, the offense has been too streaky this season to be reliable in a playoff setting. The Sparrows should find a way to make their offensive star, RB Colin Hart, the motor of this team once again, spearheading them into the Semi-Finals and possibly beyond. If the Predators can force a few turnovers and move the ball downfield, they can make this a GREAT game.
	#5 Jacksonville Kings 35 #4 Vancouver Legion 38 Sunday, April 12 \| 5:00pm EST [FTF] An exact rematch of the Week Nine match-up between the Eternal Frost of the Vancouver Legion and the Jacksonville Kings rounds out our second game of quarterfinals this Sunday. While the final score of that game (a barnburner, to be sure) was 38-51 and a win for Vancouver, it would be the last time either team would see that result: the Legion would go on a 3-game skid to end the season while the Kings didn't drop a single one to capture the fifth seed. Christian Christiansen, ranked first in touchdowns for quarterbacks this season, dropped over five hundred yards in Vancouver over the Legion secondary, as well as five touchdowns. To be fair, the Legion also picked Christiansen off four times. The offensive combination of Nakai and Pepper was a deadly one against the Kings in that game as well, as they were able to share the load and notch three touchdowns each to help capture the victory. Since then, though, Nakai has only been able to break the plane twice in three games. If the Legion are able to get their offense going the same way they were clicking in Week 9? This won't be a contest, as their league-best run defense will force an already throw-happy quarterback into riskier decisions. If not? The heirs apparent move one step closer to claiming the throne as the rightful Kings.