Written by Jack Brown, Rae Colston, Ray Bentley, Baylee O’Shaughnessy, Josh Farnzy and Matthew Slinn
Images by Tyler Falk
(Movement) | Recap |
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1 |  | (-) | It's almost boring how good Denver are at this point. Don't get me wrong, that's a huge compliment. Arizona is supposed to be a place that's very tough to travel to and come away with a victory, yet the Nightwings just dropped in there like a dark cloud, rained points upon their divisional foes and drifted off like it was nothing. Absolutely clinical. This week the heavy lifting was done on the leg of Kramer Jackman. The best kicker in the league once again showed why he is the best with a perfect 5/5 performance including a long one from 54 yards. Jackman's leg is so powerful, I could easily see him reaching from 60, 65 with a following gale. Aside from kicking excellence, Josh Miller and Jarrod McChesney played very nice games, and Matt Papineau made a couple of nice interceptions of Ashley Jackson. This one was over by the end of the first half. Is it ever in doubt when the Nightwings are involved? |
2 |  | (4) | A frigid Gateway Coliseum was the setting for the official “they are for Real” with a capital “R”. The Gladiators moved the ball at will and got key defensive stops to topple previously unbeaten Vancouver, 34-21. Christian Brown cemented his status as Offensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner with a veteran-like 28 of 31 for 252 yards, 3 touchdowns - and most importantly - 0 INTs against a stingy Legion defense that had been turning over seemingly everyone early this season. Brown made all throws, converted a number of third downs and has the Gladiator faithful believing at 4-0. Defensively, a savvy effort helped St. Louis bend, but not break against the top offensive force in the SFL. Kudos. Much kudos. The Dragons stand in the way of a 5-0 start. |
3 |  | (1) | After last week's 'not-so-close' close game with Denver in Week 3, the reigning champs needed a home win to avoid going 2-2 and behind their opponents, London, in the division. The Vultures managed to win the game and go 3-1, but by no means was it convincing. After a quickfire 17-3 first quarter, Baltimore uncharacteristically seemed set on throwing the game away, letting the Knights back into the frame. The 4th quarter saw a 20-20 scoreline and the game in the balance, but a late score saved the Baltimore fans from having to sit through an unlikely overtime. London are clearly a much improved outfit this season, but the Vultures will be disappointed with their performance, even if they are pleased about the win. The division is theirs for the taking, but they can't rest on their laurels. London are coming - hard. |
| 4 |  | (2) | The Legion went back and forth with offensive uppercuts like a Rocky fight for a quarter and a half. But a key interception by Drew Really seemed to put Vancouver on the ropes - trying to come from behind all night. The defense had a hard time slowing down Christian Brown and the Gladiator offense. Some bright spots: wide receiver Andy Hamilton broke out with seven catches for 122 yards and James McWalters got in the end zone for the first time this season - as if this offense needed more offensive weapons for defenses to worry about. A huge Pacific Division showdown with 3-1 Los Angeles awaits this Saturday. |
| 5 |  | (3) | Run, Phoenix, Run! The Mexico City Aztecs were able to ride an MVP-esque performance from Phoenix Jones to a wild 41-38 victory in Sioux Falls against the Sparrows this past week. Ray Bentley remembered what it was like to score as he was able to catch a touchdown from quarterback Matt Willson, as the only non-Phoenix touchdown for the entire game. To be fair to Sioux Falls, they continued to respond with their own elite back in Colin Hart, but thanks to quick defensive thinking in the final minutes of the game from Brock Lee and Jeffery Daggs, Mexico City was able to leave with a win and their record improved to 3-1. They remain on the road in Week 5 under cloudy skies as they travel to Florida to take on the Storm. |
| 6 |  | (1) | So Charleston, consider yourselves lucky, very lucky. Like that game should have been a thorough beating if was any other team but hey, you got out by the skin of your teeth. Now granted, it certainly isn’t to say that there weren’t any downsides to the Preds performance. For one, Keith Swearingen had an absolute day out getting 163 yards in the do and showing form not too dissimilar to what he was doing back in Season 14. But of course, that wasn’t what sealed the game, it was that bomb to Buchanon Simons that sealed the deal, even if only barely. But beyond that there are some things that need improving before the upcoming week 5 match against arch rivals Carolina. For one, the defense, especially the pass defense, was a major yikes, making it so DC gained nearly 350 yards on the day when Psynergy threw the ball. Also the efficiency of the team was really bad. While DC had 67% on 3rd down, Charleston was at just 50% for the day. Not stuff you want to see especially against a team that through 3 weeks looked horrendous. But hey, that’s just a theory, a CHS THEORY. |
| 7 |  | (2) | The (2-1) Florida Storm hosted the (3-0) Los Angeles Lycans. QB Ron Cockren was very efficient completing 32 of 38 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns. WR Steven Bush was his favorite recipient with 12 receptions for 120 yards and one touchdown. The Florida defense would shock the balanced Lycans offense in the first half of the game by holding QB Sully Richardson to only 17 passing yards; however, they would find themselves only up by 3 points at halftime. Ron Cockren’s three interceptions would allow the Lycans to stay in the game. It was a nail-biter the second half as the Storm would find themselves up by three points with the Lycans in field goal range with 23 seconds left and a chance to tie the game. However, the Storm defense would step up and seal the deal with Ryan Davidson’s second pick of the day which he would return to the house. Florida takes the win 27-17 and sends the heartbroken Lycans packing with their first loss of the season. The Storm will host the Mexico City Aztecs this week. |
| 8 |  | (1) | The (3-0) Los Angeles Lycans travelled east this week to take on the (2-1) Florida Storm. The Storm defense would hold the Lycans' high scoring offense to just 7 points and 17 passing yards in the first half. The Lycans would head to their locker room down 10-7 at halftime. The Los Angeles defense would continue to keep them in the game by forcing three turnovers, and they would find themselves with the opportunity to tie the game at 20 with 23 seconds left and in field goal range. At this point the Lycans would attempt to go for the win, but QB Sully Richardson would throw a pick 6 to CB Ryan Davidson instead. The Lycans would suffer their first lost to the Storm 27-17. Los Angeles will host the (3-1) Vancouver Legion this week in a divisional matchup. |
| 9 |  | (2) | 27-0 after three quarters of play. Of all the stats that came out of Fort Worth's victory over Portland, that's the one that shows the gulf in class between the two expansion teams from Season 15. The Fleet were able to score 17 points in garbage time but it wasn't really much of a consolation. The Toros are just a better team, and a team that looks to challenge Mexico City for the division title. To say that about a franchise that is still in its infancy and in a division containing Lone Star and Houston (two very good teams) is a testament to the great job owners and coaches have done down in Texas. Cameron Curtis looks promising as the new man at QB, Jason Williams is starting to impose himself on defenses and Stephen Hacker is returning to his unstoppable QCC form from Season 14. The defense has always been legit (they held yet another team under 300 yards) and the weather is looking rosier than it is for the rest of Texas. The Toros will get a chance to keep atop the division next week as they travel to Houston, a team who look like they have regained their bite. |
| 10 |  | (6) | A better Valentine's Day could have been hoped for by the Jacksonville Kings as they were taken to task in Texas by the Lone Star Glory 22 - 38. Nothing they could try would work against a confident and vicious Glory, as 15 of their points came from beleaguered kicker Anthony Cece, whose longest was a humdinger at 56 yards. Otherwise, Christian Christiansen was only able to get off one touchdown to tight end Jack Wall in the fourth to compensate for his four picks (including a devastating pick-six) for the day. While Succo Lomahno and Michael Sprous were able to pick off Lone Star's Ace Fenech three times, the defense wasn't able to prevent the Glory's offense from finding paydirt four separate times. Jacksonville sits at an even-keeled 2-2 for the season and will head home to take on the Atlanta Swarm for Week 5. |
| 11 |  | (1) | The Swarm outgained the Revolution, outscored them by 10 in the second half and stuck around to make the game interesting. Five turnovers. Five interceptions, to be exact, were the difference this past weekend. The defense held Johnny Pichler to 159 passing yards and one touchdown with 1 interception, but their own turnovers often gave Louisiana a short field and helped bring offensive drives to a screeching halt. The three wideouts for Atlanta accounted for all but eight of their 357 passing yards. Defensively, Aquantis Shyne tallied 15 tackles, including three for loss was impressive. The 2-2 Swarm head into a key matchup this weekend with Jacksonville, where the need for ball control will be even higher. |
| 12 |  | (1) | London lost, moving to 2-2 on the season and allowing Baltimore to cement their places atop the North. Should we punish them for that loss with a drop back down the power rankings? The panel said no. Why? Because the manner in which they were defeated was courageous, tough and showed how far they have come this season. If you go to the reigning champions and lose a close one 20-27 after a 17-point comeback, you can actually find yourself moving up the rankings. Angus MaClaine understandably couldn't reach the same heights of last week, Although he still had a good game, and the defence is proving to be a stout force in Season 16. The main worry for London currently is the production of running back, Robert Merrill. If London are going to make a serious challenge to make the playoffs, they need to find a way to get Merrill cooking. |
| 13 |  | (1) | What a Glory-ous game it was for Lone Star, who were able to dominate the perennial postseason contender Jacksonville Kings at home to the tune of 22 - 38. 28 of those points came from the capable hands of sophomore-season quarterback Ace Fenech, who was able to 'spread the love' so to say to wide receivers Dave Axis and Greg Soto, as well as tight end Adam Williams. If that weren't enough, while the stout Glory defense was able to pick off former MVP Christian Christiansen four times, it was Evan Lacey's pick-six that was the most catastrophic for the visiting Kings, as it helped increase Lone Star's margin to a completely insurmountable one by the time the final whistle blew. The Glory bump their record up to .500 at 2-2 and will travel to Jolly Old London to take on Angus MacLaine's Knights for their Week 5 match-up. |
| 14 |  | (4) | The passing attack for Carolina has been… “lacking.” At 21st in the league in passing yards per game and 18th in passing TDs, it is easy to see what the issue is. The rushing attack has been solid: 104.5 yards per game (8th in the league) and 3 rushing TDs (tied for 9th). QB Xander Gold is 7th in attempts, 8th in completion percentage and tied for 1st in sacks allowed at 4, yet is 2nd to last in yards per attempt. Could opening up the passing game a little through play action or spreading things out help the Skyhawks into the end zone? Their defense has been very solid: 12th in the league, yet 2nd in passing yards allowed, 3rd in passing TDs allowed, and 6th in total yards allowed per game. A defense like that is showing that, despite being given less than ideal situations, and being on the field far too much, they come to play every week and are only scratching the surface. They need to stop the run better (18th in the league), and nothing showed this better than allowing Jaylin Wells of the San Diego Mavericks 166 yards this week. But avoiding fatigue with solid drives by the offense will go a long way to fixing that issue. They won this week 29-17, but at 2-2 they need to get things rolling on offense going into the middle of the season. |
| 15 |  | (2) | Ya know, historically speaking, Houston has been known for being one of the most scattershot teams in terms of game to game performance in SFL history, once they lost 76-13, but this game was one of those really good ones. Winning over Las Vegas 34-27. Now you may ask what’s so impressive about a six point win? Well I’ll tell you, it was the fact that one man basically reignited his career that game, ET King. Throwing the ball for a grand total of 560 yards through 44 minutes of football with the longest being 69 (nice) yards. He also had 4 TDs and 4 INTs to boot but hey, 1:1 isn’t bad around here. It was an air raid not seen in many years around these parts and certainly not in Houston. Granted this all came at sacrifice of the running game but honestly, they didn’t need it. Now to be fair going down the line they’ll definitely need to have that bolstered if they want to consistently win football games, but air raid Houston does seem to have its benefits when it’s clicking. But now as they March to week five, they face off against their foes from DFW in what many would call the Texas snow bowl. I, for one, cannot wait. |
| 16 |  | (4) | Vegas, that was pretty dang rough on your secondary. Letting up over 500 yards in the air alone is a very bad look on any CBs resume or anything like that. But to be fair here, you were able to get 4 INTs from King and spread them out pretty evenly which had to mean they needed to run a few less laps, right? Eh well, it is what it is I guess. Vegas however even when going up against mister 500 yards was able to make it a very close game all throughout, at the end only losing by six to Houston, 34-27. Young QB Colin Piercce had a trial by fire of sorts throwing for 4 INTs and getting sacked 3 times while also getting two TDs. On the whole, it really wasn’t that terrible for the Sin City Fury apart from, of course, the stat. But even with that and the loss last week the Fury remain in second place in no small part because the entire division besides Denver has decided to self immolate. Next up on the docket for them is a chance to cement second for themselves against Arizona who has also lost back to back. If they can win, it’s looking to be smooth sailing for second place. |
| 17 |  | (3) | Midway through the second quarter of Week 4 against Atlanta. That will be the point in time Louisiana fans will look to as the turning point if the Revs are able to turn their early season stumblings into a playoff run. Specifically, it will be a two-and-a-half minute stretch that broke a 7-7 tie and saw two INTs turn into 14 points - including a charging pick-six from Evan Arthur - that put the Revolution out in front for good. All in all, five interceptions of Bryant Dynasty was just the thing a struggling offense needed for support. The defense was efficient and running back Reggie Streeter was effective enough to keep the Swarm at bay. Louisiana’s reward for getting a first win? A Week 5 date with Denver. |
| 18 |  | (3) | It's safe to say that the Arizona Scorpions are gonna have easier weeks than they had in Week 4. Coming of an upset loss at home to the London Knights, the Scorpions had to then welcome the Denver Nightwings, a team so untouchable even MC Hammer doesn't compare. A 24-point deficit at the half really told the story, but Arizona have to be proud of the fight they showed in the second half to make the game closer, even if Denver's victory was a formality at that point. Individually, Ashley Jackson flung the ball as best she could, using the Hands brothers to lethal effect, both making over 100 yards and getting into the endzone for a score. The defensive line held up pretty well limiting McChesney to under 5 yards a carry (a good feat, believe me) but sometimes you just have to sit down and accept that there is a team better than you - right now that's the case with Denver and the rest of the West. Week 5 sees another game at home for the Scorpions against the Las Vegas Fury. A win is crucial to even the records between the teams and fight for that second place. |
| 19 |  | (3) | Well, well, well Tulsa! Do you see what happens when you give your defence a chance and limit turnovers?! You get victories! This 20-37 victory over the Queen City Corsairs was imperative for Tulsa to remain in with a shout in the East, especially with Louisiana also claiming a victory this week. The Desperadoes move up above their Week 4 foes and it is much deserved. Jay Cue gave his most mature performance of the season, going 1:1 in the turnover battle and playing a lot safer than he has been. Sonzo Robinson was pleasingly used much more, resulting in a tough 78 yards and 2 touchdowns. The real story though, is the play of the defense. Five interceptions (by different players I might add) really turned the momentum in the favour of the Desperadoes and couple that with 5 sacks for the D-Line, you have the recipe for success. Sioux Falls are the next fallen giant on the menu for Tulsa. Can they double up at home and make it 2-3 going into Week 6? |
| 20 |  | (4) | The Queen City Corsairs just look out of sorts to me at the moment. Yes, after many left for Fort Worth in Season 15, we knew there would be a transitional phase for the 4-time champs, but nobody expected it to look this dour. Many had Queen City to be a dark horse to rebound and make the playoffs this season. Currently, 4 wins is looking like a stretch, let alone the playoffs. AJ Caswell had an unmitigated disaster against the Desperados this week. Throwing 5 picks to zero interceptions is just plain bad - there is no hiding from it. That's why QCC lost. There is nothing else to really say. One positive for Queen City is the play of Jett Zero, who has improved dramatically as a runner. Other than that, they just need to look to next week. A trip to the reigning champions awaits. |
| 21 |  | (2) | As disappointing as Queen City have been this season, you have to admit that the story is the same for Portland. A team who promised so much coming into this season seem to be once again falling a little short. The 37-17 home loss to the Fort Worth Toros illustrates that perfectly. The running game just couldn't get off the ground and Matt South had to throw the ball more than 50 times, which has never really gone well in his second career. The defense is Portland's strength, and that was outmatched. Jason Williams found a lot of success and that proved to be a main difference. The Fleet need to get back on track and quickly. Week 5 brings a game against the San Diego Mavericks. This divisional clash is the perfect opportunity to get back in the win column. |
| 22 |  | (1) | Dragons, it really hurts to put you this low as you played amazingly, but I guess this is just how things have to shake out. So look, a loss is still a loss, but to take a solid team like Charleston to task is an achievement and a half for a brand new team like this. DC, in a lot of statistical senses, well outperformed the boys from South Carolina gaining over 30 more total yards through the ballgame and it would have been worse without the ending to the game. DC mainly achieved it through their passing game which was surprisingly good at home getting the team’s majority of yards. They also were able to keep their drives alive getting 67% of third downs which for any team is something to stand up and take note of. It just seems to be that from the coaching front the Dragons have everything working out just right, for what they have as far as a team is concerned. The build most definitely needs a boatload of work, but if they keep at it and keep this team together, they are a force to be reckoned with. But now looking forward they have to take on red hot St. Louis. They could beat them, but only if luck goes their way. |
| 23 |  | (2) | When in doubt, just run. Of the 9 touchdowns between Sioux Falls and Mexico City in their Week 4 meeting, seven of them were run in by the teams, with Sioux Falls' Colin Hart notching 3 himself. The Sparrows were within shooting distance of their first win with a strong performance from both Hart and quarterback Julian Tyree, and lead the Aztecs 7-21 at the end of the first quarter, but defensively were unable to find a solution for... you guessed it, Mexico City's running game. With 23 first downs and under 10 3rd downs, it's only a matter of time before this two-time Championship contender will find their footing and first win, but with a sack and interception in the final minutes were enough to keep them out of the W column again this week. They head south in Week 5 to take on the Tulsa Desperados in hopes that they can turn their season around, and quick. |
| 24 |  | (-) | Struggling to score is not a recipe for winning in the SFL. This is where San Diego unfortunately finds themselves at a third of the way through the season: An 0-4 team trying to find an identity on offense which has an average rushing attack (12th in the league) and a lower middling passing game (16th in the league). The main issue is that they can’t seem to find the end zone. The Mavericks are dead last in points per game at 14.25, with 3 passing touchdowns and zero from the running game. QB Javier Vasquez just simply can’t do it all. He is generally running for his life back there behind a porous offensive line. The receivers need to get open faster, and the chains must move to keep opponents from just pinning their ears back and going after sacks. Vasquez is the 2nd most sacked QB in the league right now at 16 times in 4 games. But, you can’t put it all on the offense. The defense is struggling as well at keeping opposing teams out of the end zone (21st in points allowed per game). This all showed in their Week 4 loss to the Carolina Skyhawks, coming up short once again 17-29, where they threw for less yards than they ran for, and Vasquez was sacked 3 times. When you’re vulnerable in football you have to expect teams to come after you every game. Right now the Mavericks have everyone on their six… locked, loaded, and ready to fire. |
