Wildcard Weekend

Wildcard Weekend was anything but wild as we had just one game within one score and that was a 12-6 game with less than 400 yards of offense from both teams combined. To say the public is mad is an understatement but unlike the NFL, we don't fix games for entertainment value.

I think I'll start with the game result that intrigued me the most, San Jose 38 Houston 0. Smirt has been eerily quiet lately, and if I were a playoff team in the American Conference I'd be scared about that fact alone. Throw in the fact that he basically flipped his script 180 degrees and crushed the 9 time champs, shutting them out mind you, I'd be really scared.

I'll get to the details in the actual recap shortly but consider these numbers from the game...

San Jose 4th down conversions...0/0

San Jose Punts...5

San Jose Passes Thrown...29

San Jose Rushing Attempts...46

San Jose TDs...5

San Jose 2 point attempts...0

Flipping his own script is one thing, and it certainly worked but consider this. The Houston defense has been bad this season but their weakness was pass defense. The Gamblers run defense was 12th in yards per carry, not great but above average, but their pass defense rankings are 31st or 32nd depending on which stat you're looking at.

San Jose 38 Houston 0

Wow! I'm shocked at this result as you can tell from above. I'll start this part by talking about how the SaberCats defense dismantled Houston's 3rd ranked offense. They forced Houston to throw short, and they tackled after the catch as the Gamblers longest pass covered just 17 yards. The game was close in the first half, within 2 scores yet Houston only ran the ball 9 times all game. Dale Baber completed 27/44 for just 135 yards and 2 INTs.

Offensively it took awhile for the flipped approach to find it's rhythm as they only led 14-0 at the half but the second half it all came together. San Jose ran all over the Houston defense to the tune of 46 carries, 395 yards and 5 TDs. Usually if I say Lynn McLaurin was 18 for 146 yards and 2 TDs, I'd be talking about his receiving line but that was his rushing line today, leading the BCBC. David Babin ran 11 times for 132 yards while James Valdez had 78 yards on his 11 runs, with 3 finding the end zone.

Oklahoma 28 Chicago 13

Oklahoma started both halves with multiple scoring drives, never allowing Chicago a chance at a comeback with tight defense. The Blitz managed just 195 yards today, throwing an interception, taking 4 sacks and running for less than 3 yards a carry. Oklahoma didn't run the ball well either, but Raymond Settles took care of the ball, which I had mentioned was key. Settles was 33/48, *** yards and 2 TDs with zero INTs. Arthur Reina and Gary Kahn had 115 receiving yards each, although Reina needed 12 catches while Kahn did it with 4 and had a TD.

Portland 12 Oakland 6

Portland QB Raymond Oswalt was intercepted on the Storm's first drive but he bounced back, leading back to back scoring drives as they took an early 10-0 lead. The TD was a 30 yard Oswalt pass to Frank Gonzalez. The rest of the game was not good for the Portland offense as they totaled just 236 offensive yards and didn't threaten to score again. Oakland could manage just 151 total yards and a pair of FGs and we had a 10-6 game after 3 quarters.

In the 4th, field position was key as neither offense could get into scoring position. The Portland defense provided the last 2 points of the game when Andy Fulkerson was sacked in the end zone by Charles Heist. Portland wins 12-6 thanks to their defense.

Birmingham 24 Orlando 13

I feel the pain of Orlando fans as I was in attendance at Paul Brown Stadium for the Steelers/Bengals playoff game where Carson Palmer got knocked out of the game early and the energy in the stadium just disappeared.

On the first play of Orlando's 3rd drive, Dwayne Byrd took off on a 17 yard run but didn't get back up after the hit. Byrd ended up with a broken foot and now the offense was in the hands of backup Michael Smith. He completed 21/37, 150 yards and an INT while also getting sacked 7 times.

Russell Gall threw for 409 yards and 3 TDs in leading Birmingham to victory. Gall did throw an INT and the Stallions lost 2 fumbles but they weren't going to lose to a backup QB today, especially when the defense allows only 1/17 on 3rd down conversions.

Jacksonville 21 Philadelphia 6

Somehow this game had even less total yards than Portland/Oakland. Jacksonville had 182, Philadelphia 153 although to be fair, there were 95 yards in sacks factored in. There were no offensive TDs in this game and Jacksonville's defense nearly outscored their offense. The Bulls sacked Joel Jasso 9 times, once for a safety and one being a scoop and score after Jasso lost the ball. Throw in 4 Charles Tello FGs and there's their 21 points.

New Orleans 35 (NY) Stars 11

Before I get to the game, kudos to Beercloud for turning around this franchise. He took over the mess left behind by Nosedive Neil and completely rebuilt the team to where it is now, a team that's been to the playoffs back to back seasons. That was a monumental task.

While the Stars are trending up, they ran into a buzzsaw today in New Orleans. The VooDoo put up 474 offensive yards, 145 on the ground and converted 7/12 on 3rd down. Willie Graham did throw an interception and took 3 sacks but he was pretty good other than that, completing 22/32 for 350 yards and 4 TDs. It helped Graham that Benjamin Jones was always open, catching 11 for 272 yards and 3 TDs.

The game was close in the first half, with New Orleans taking a 14-11 lead at the break before exploding for 21 points in the 3rd qtr to take control of the game.

Divisional Round

We had 2 close, competitive games out of 4, a better ratio than Wildcard Weekend. San Antonio won their first playoff game in history thanks to a missed XP by rookie kicker Daniel Beaupre in the final minute of the game to potentially have OT. The Gunslingers will host San Jose for the right to play in World Bowl XXXIV. The SaberCats have yet to attempt a 4th down or a 2 point conversion in the post season because they haven't needed to. When discussing the SaberCats, I tend to focus on the offense because they routinely put up gaudy numbers but the defense is pretty good too, and they come away with another lopsided victory,

Speaking of lopsided victories, Pittsburgh pulled away from Jacksonville in the second half for a 36-10 win and are now just one more win away from back to back World Bowls. There, they will face the Birmingham Stallions, who outlasted New Orleans in OT to advance. Birmingham was beaten 48-26 by Pittsburgh in the regular season but the Stallions were the only one to score more than 13 points against them. Pittsburgh has been perfect but nobody has really pushed them yet as their slimmest margin of victory is 14 points. Will Birmingham push them or will Pittsburgh maul yet another opponent?

San Antonio 23 Oklahoma 22

This is the third meeting of the season between these teams, with San Antonio winning the previous 2 by a grand total of 4 points. The Gunslingers took a 6-0 lead early in the 2nd on Dennis Lovett's 2nd FG of the game, this one from 54 yards following a Raymond Settles INT. Later in the 2nd qtr, the Oklahoma defense returned the favor by intercepting George Warner, and Settles led a TD drive with a pair of passes down to the 2 yard line. Steven Huddleston ran it in from there but rookie kicker Daniel Beaupre missed the XP so we were tied at 6. George Warner drove the Gunslingers down the field and they took the lead on his 7 yard TD pass to Daniel Cruz. The XP was good and San Antonio led 13-6 at the half.

In the middle of the 3rd, Daniel Beaupre made a 45 yard FG, cutting the lead to 13-9. Three plays later, Oklahoma got the ball back on the 2nd George Warner INT, leading to an 18 yard Raymond Settles TD pass to Arthur Reina. This time the XP was good to give the Outlaws a 16-13 lead. George Warner would respond by leading a TD drive culminating with his 8 yard TD pass to Michael Sorenson. With the XP it was now 20-16 San Antonio late in the 3rd.

San Antonio would extend the lead with a FG early in the 4th to lead 23-16. The teams then traded punts to set up Oklahoma's last possession down 7 with just under 4 minutes left. Settles was 10/12 on the drive, finding David Couch for the apparent game tying TD. Daniel Beaupre missed another XP though, leaving the score 23-22. The onside kick failed and San Antonio runs out the clock to advance to the Conference Championship.

San Jose 58 Portland 14

The San Jose BCBC ran for 198 yards and 4 TDs on 40 carries, led by Lynn McLaurin's 98 and 2, while Larry Henderson threw for 374 yards and 2 more scores. McLaurin led the receiving stats too, catching 10 for 136 and a TD for a combined 234 yards with 3 scores. Henderson threw just 1 INT and was sacked 3 times.

The San Jose defense was pretty solid save for 2 long Raymond Oswalt TD passes to James Kendrick. Portland had 345 offensive yards, but just 200 minus the long TDs. Additionally Oswalt threw 6 INTs. The game was close in the first half, with San Jose leading 16-7, but the SaberCats exploded for 28 points in the 3rd to seize control of the game to advance to the Conference Championship.

Pittsburgh 36 Jacksonville 10

Jacksonville had chances early in the game to make Pittsburgh sweat but they didn't fully take advantage. They held Pittsburgh to a FG on their opening drive but missed a FG on their own opening drive. Pittsburgh QB Daniel Harrington threw 2 first half INTs and Jacksonville scored 10 points off of them, but they started their FG drive on the Pitt 15. Pittsburgh got 3 TD passes from Harrington today, all to Patrick Howard with the 2nd coming in the final minute of the first half for a 17-10 lead.

That started a run of points for the Maulers as they scored 26 unanswered after the Bulls tied the game at 10. Felix Vaughn ran for 126 yards, adding 56 more on 8 receptions and Gary Ridgeway booted 4 FGs between the 2nd and 3rd Patrick Howard TD catches. The Maulers defense held Jacksonville to 104 total yards and they advance to face Birmingham in the Conference Championship.

Birmingham 23 New Orleans 20 (OT)

If you like passing this game was for you. New Orleans didn't run on a single play, dropping back 78 times with 7 sacks and 71 pass attempts. Backup QB Zachary Kinkead was 0/4 so Willie Graham was 41/67, 404 yards, 7 sacks, 2 TDs and 1 INT. Birmingham ran 23 times for 105 yards while Russell Gall completed 38/65, 234 yards with a TD and 4 sacks taken.

Willie Graham threw both of his TDs in the 1st qtr as the VooDoo took a 14-0 lead. Al Borland cut the lead to 14-3 with a FG at the end of the first and the halftime score was 17-6 after each team had a FG in the 2nd qtr.

In the 3rd qtr, Al Borland missed a FG while Mark Adams made one to extend the New Orleans lead to 20-6. Borland would make a FG early in the 4th to cut the lead to 20-9 and Russell Gall threw a 1 yard pass to William Webber for a TD, then a 2 point conversion pass to Mohamed Manno, making the score 20-17 with 4:50 left. Birmingham kicked off and forced a punt, although they were pinned at their 6 yard line. Facing 4th and 10 from their own 14 with 1:17 to play, they punted.

Willie Graham was sacked on first down, getting injured enough he had to leave the game. For some reason, while nursing a lead late in the game with a backup QB, New Orleans kept throwing the ball. Kinkead was incomplete on his first 3 throws before getting intercepted on his 4th by Joe Munoz, giving Birmingham the ball at the 35. A sack, incomplete pass and complete pass saw the ball right back at the 35, where Al Borland tied the game with a 52 yard FG, sending the game to OT.

Willie Graham was back in the game for New Orleans and after a Birmingham punt in OT, they faced a 4th and 1 from the Stallions 36. They could have tried a game winning 53 yard FG but they went for it and failed. Three punts later and New Orleans was pinned at their own 6. Willie Graham was intercepted by Wilbur Steele, and after the offense failed to get a first down, Al Borland came on and drilled the game winning 38 yard FG to send Birmingham to Pittsburgh for a rematch of last year's Conference Championship.

American Conference Championship

San Antonio 20 San Jose 6

San Jose got the ball first and punted, but they scored on their second possession for a 6-0 lead after Larry Henderson's 51 yard pass to Jacob Newman. The SaberCats broke out the 2 point conversions again but this one failed, keeping the score 6-0. San Antonio answered with an 11 play, 72 yard TD drive, tying the score on Jack Lu's 5 yard TD run, with the XP giving the Gunslingers a 7-6 lead.

Early in the 2nd qtr, Lynn McLaurin lost a fumble which led to a Gunslingers FG and a 10-6 lead. The rest of the 2nd qtr were punts and 10-6 San Antonio was the halftime score.

Most of the 3rd qtr drives ended with punts as well until late in the quarter, when Larry Henderson threw an interception. That gave the Gunslingers an instant red zone possession but the SaberCats defense held, forcing a FG attempt that was good for a 13-6 San Antonio lead. Following some punts, Larry Henderson drove the SaberCats into FG range but the 47 yard try went wide right, keeping the score 13-6. A couple possessions later, San Jose drove into San Antonio territory before turning it over on downs. The San Jose defense forced a three and out, giving San Jose the ball back at their own 13 with just under a minute to play. Any chance for a dramatic final drive ended quickly when Chauncey Gabel intercepted Henderson and returned it for the game sealing TD.

San Jose out gained San Antonio 307-172 but suffered 3 turnovers while the Gunslingers had none. San Antonio is enjoying their return to the post season after a 31 year absence, winning the first 2 post season games in franchise history and earning a trip to their first World Bowl.
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National Conference Championship

Pittsburgh 29 Birmingham 23 (OT)

This was a ho-hum kind of game through 3 quarters as Pittsburgh led 13-6, but a wild 4th saw 27 points scored and they would need OT to decide the winner. Felix Vaughn had a 3 yard TD run inside the 2 minute warning of the first half and each team booted a pair of FGs to get the game to the 13-6 score.

Early in the 4th qtr, Darrell Harrington threw a 9 yard TD pass to Patrick Howard and the XP gave Pittsburgh a 20-6 lead. Birmingham bounced back when Russell Gall threw a 7 yard TD pass to Barry Stringfellow to get back within 7 at 20-13. The Stallions defense forced a punt and Gall drove Birmingham down the field again. Gall ended the drive with a 2 yard TD pass to Michael Torgerson and the XP tied the game at 20 with 3:19 to play.

Darrell Harrington tried to lead a game winning drive but was intercepted by Bertram Clark, giving Birmingham the ball in FG range. The Pittsburgh defense held, forcing an Al Borland FG to give Birmingham a 23-20 lead with 1:42 left. Harrington drove Pittsburgh down to the Birmingham 37, leaving just enough time for a game tying 54 yard Gary Ridgeway FG.

The game was headed to OT and MFN has different rules for OT than the NFL in the post season. Both leagues allow both teams to possess the ball in OT during the regular season UNLESS the team with the ball first scores a TD, then it's game over. In the post season, the NFL allows the other team to still get the ball in this scenario but MFN does not.

That's important because Pittsburgh got the ball to start OT and they went on a 9 play, 75 yard drive that ended when Kenneth Allen punched it in from inside the one yard line. No XP was needed because the game was over at this point, and Pittsburgh remains undefeated, earning a trip to World Bowl XXXIV in the process.