Week 14

14 games in the books and just 2 to go. This week's results finalized several team's January plans, some will keep playing while others will be planning vacations. According to MFN, 11 of 14 spots are spoken for while 14 teams have been eliminated. As always, the standings glitch wreaks some havoc with these numbers.

Pittsburgh 28 (NY) Stars 9

Could Pittsburgh's offense be tiring out? For the first time this season they went back to back games scoring 29 points or less. They have scored at least 20 in every game this season so maybe I'm just nitpicking. Felix Vaughn ran for 102 yards and 3 TDs to lead the way for the 14-0 Maulers and Patrick Howard caught 7 for 107 and a score. Pittsburgh's defense bent but didn't break until the last drive of the game when the outcome was pretty much decided.

San Antonio 16 Oklahoma 15

These heavyweight teams kept punching each other in the mouth all game as neither offense could crack the end zone until the last half of the 4th qtr. In the meantime it was a kicking contest that San Antonio was winning 9-3 when George Warner threw the 1st of 3 straight INTs. That led to a FG, the next INT led to a TD and missed XP while the 3rd INT led to another FG. Oklahoma now led 15-9 with 2:40 to play and the Gunslingers would start their drive on the 25. Warner would complete 4/6 on the drive, including the game winning 22 yard pass to Jack Lu.

Oklahoma would have plenty of time for a FG drive but Raymond Settles was intercepted by Brian Webb to secure the win and a division title for San Antonio.

Philadelphia 13 Boston 6

Philadelphia ran for 181 yards while passing for just 88 but Joel Jasso's TD pass to Frederick Martin late in the first half was enough for the Bell to get the win. Philadelphia's defense had no sacks and forced no turnovers but they also allowed no TDs and just 179 total yards. This win coupled with New York's loss clinches the East for Philadelphia for the 7th straight season.

New Orleans 15 Tampa Bay 6

New Orleans out gained Tampa Bay 298-104 but neither team was able to crack the end zone, turning this into a kicking contest. The VooDoo got the better of that 5-2, winning by a score of 15-6 and clinching the Southeast division.

Orlando 23 Detroit 16

John Jones ran for 103 yards and 2 TDs to lead Orlando to a division clinching win over Detroit. The good news for the Wheels is they only had 1 INT from their QBs today after throwing 14 the previous 2 games but the bad news is they didn't run the ball well and couldn't score enough during the first 3 quarters to make the Renegades sweat the outcome until a late comeback fell short.

Chicago 20 Cleveland 17 (OT)

We finally have a winner in the Midwest division as Chicago outlasts Cleveland in OT to send the Blitz to the playoffs. This was a back and forth game with the teams trading scores throughout regulation. Chicago took the ball first in OT and kicked a FG to take a 20-17 lead. In OT both teams get a chance to possess the ball, but Cleveland only had 4 minutes to work with as the Blitz took 6 minutes off the clock on their drive. The Thunderbolts turned it over on downs and the game was over.

Portland 22 Charlotte 3

Thomas Frank ran for 88 yards and a TD while Aaron David kicked 5 FGs to lead Portland to victory. The Storm defense contributed to the win with 8 sacks, 2 INTs and allowing just 140 total yards. With the win, Portland clinches at least a wildcard spot.

Oakland 17 Baltimore 10

The first half was a struggle for both offenses but Oakland did get an Andy Fulkerson 79 yard TD pass to take a 7-3 lead at the break. The Invaders got the ball to start the second half and drove down for a William Workman TD run to take control of the game. Oakland would extend the lead to 17-3 inside the 2 minute warning before Baltimore had their best drive of the game. The Stars drove 75 yards for a TD to cut the lead to 17-10 but would have had only 23 seconds left had they recovered the onside kick.

MFN says Oakland has clinched a playoff spot but I'm not totally sure. One more win or one more Arizona loss and it won't matter.

More Week 14

San Jose 24 Los Angeles 14

Typical San Jose game other than a low point total as Larry Henderson completed 39/74, 499 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT and 8 sacks. The SaberCats were 3/11 on 4th down but their defense kept the Express out of the end zone until the final 3 minutes of the game. At the beginning of the game, San Jose turned it over on downs the first 4 drives while Los Angeles gave up a safety and made just 1 of 3 FG tries. Lynn McLaurin caught 11 passes for 264 yards and both TD passes to lead in stats.

Houston 39 Michigan 13

This hasn't been the best season in Gamblers history but it's not the worst either, at least for the franchise. During Cjfred's tenure as owner, Houston has always won at least 10 games and made the playoffs. Those streaks are in jeopardy, mostly due to bad pass defense but this win helps keep both streaks alive for now.

This was probably the best pass defense game all season for Houston as they held Willie Reddish to 16/43, 108 yards, 1 INT and 5 sacks. Offensively Dale Baber threw for 490 yards and 4 TDs, getting big games from Harley Race (3-145-1) and Leonard Gentry (5-101). They also welcomed Randy Savage back from injury as he ran for 59 yards and a score while chipping in 75 receiving yards on 7 catches.

Birmingham 55 Honolulu 3

Birmingham had 753 yards of offense as they took Honolulu behind the woodshed for an old fashioned beating. Actually, given how Russell Gall threw for 563 yards and 7 TDs, it's more like a modern day beating. Arnold Griego caught 4 of those TD passes among his 8 for 287 yards. Griego's big day is the 2nd highest receiving yardage total of the season, trailing only the 293 Detroit's Arthur Reina put up against Oklahoma. The Stallions running game galloped for 190 yards on 25 carries, good for 7.6 yards a pop.

Birmingham might have to win on the road in the playoffs since they can't win the division, but do you really want them coming into your stadium in January? I do, but only because the playoffs are a long shot for my team and I'd love to just get in.

Jacksonville 42 Florida 0

The Running of the Bulls is usually in Spain but today it was in Jacksonville as the Bulls had 323 rushing yards as they increased their chances at a playoff berth. Jacksonville had 2 rushers gain triple digits as Patrick Edwards ran for 137 and Jackie Huhn had 108. QB William Barron only threw for 140 yards but he threw for 4 TDs and ran for another. The defense only had 1 turnover but it came late in the 4th on one of their 7 sacks, with the recovered fumble returned for a TD to really put the nail in the coffin.

Arizona 40 Washington 19

There were a lot of big plays on both sides of the ball as Arizona had 459 yards of offense with 3 turnovers and 7 sacks allowed while Washington had 435 offensive yards but also 5 turnovers, 4 in the first half. Arizona has been using a QB rotation which we haven't seen for quite some time, and it seems to be working for them. At the least it gives Curtis Kim a break from taking all the sacks. Michael Chapin led the way with 70 rushing yards and 2 TDs to go with 6 catches, 97 yards.

Those first half turnovers by the Federals helped the Wranglers build a 30-9 lead which they were able to keep. They also keep their playoff hopes alive with this win.

Shreveport 13 Georgia 6

The Georgia offense picked a bad time to lay an egg as this loss might end up keeping the Force home in January. Defensively the Force did their job, allowing just 175 yards and 13 points. Offensively they had 182 but completed just 11/31 passes with 2 INTs and 6 sacks while also losing a fumble and not even reaching the red zone.

New Jersey 27 Memphis 0

MFN says this loss eliminates Memphis but I'm not so sure, although if they keep playing like this it won't matter. Memphis ran the ball well, better than the Generals but they only tried 15 runs, gaining 112 yards. Through the air the Showboats struggled, completing 16/36 for 73 yards and 3 INTs, getting sacked 1 time. Memphis never reached the red zone and possessed the ball less than 21 minutes as New Jersey played ball control. Vic Mackey ran for 121 yards and 2 TDs to lead the Generals offense while Y. Tookay had a Pick Six.

New Jersey is still alive for a playoff spot but they likely need to win their last 2 and get help.

Southern California 23 Denver 10

Franklin Benevides ran for 2 TDs in the first half on his way to a 109 yard rushing day as Southern California eliminated Denver from playoff contention. The Sun did not play a clean game as they turned the ball over 4 times and allowed 3 sacks while also keeping Denver in the game thanks to special teams. Following Benevides 2nd TD, the Gold got on the scoreboard with a 106 yard kickoff return by Thomas Warner. In between the turnovers, the Sun had 402 offensive yards, more than double the 167 they allowed. Denver also turned the ball over 4 times and was just 2/11 on 3rd down while Southern California converted 7/16.

Week 15

Pittsburgh 59 Oakland 3

Well, I guess Pittsburgh's offense isn't worn down or whatever dumb statement I made last time. They were coming off back to back games under 30 points for the first time all season and they responded with 59 today. Darrell Harrington threw for 350 yards and 6 TDs, 3 to Patrick Howard, who caught 8 for 142. Felix Vaughn ran for 152 yards and a TD and the Maulers defense allowed Oakland all of 56 total yards.

MFN says Pittsburgh clinched home field with this win, and maybe they have but I can't confirm without knowing what tiebreaker MFN uses. Oakland may have lost but so did Arizona, which means the Invaders officially get a playoff berth. This loss though, coupled with Portland's win means Oakland is a wildcard.

Portland 18 Denver 7

Portland used a strong running game (138 yards) and stifling defense to win and secure the West Division title. Raymond Oswalt threw a TD pass, Aaron David kicked 3 FGs and the Storm defense intercepted 3 passes and had 3 sacks, including one for a safety.

San Antonio 13 Los Angeles 0

San Antonio had a balanced attack and balanced turnovers on offense while the defense allowed just 90 yards and zero points. The Gunslingers ran for 192 yards with 2 lost fumbles and they passed for 187 yards with 2 INTs, and converted just 3/14 3rd downs. The Gunslingers did manage 13 points, which was enough for the win that clinched home field advantage.

Florida 13 Georgia 7

This was a regular season playoff game as the loser would be eliminated from the post season. The defenses were up to the challenge as both offenses combined for just 341 yards with 4 lost fumbles. Despite the lack of yardage Florida converted 7/17 3rd downs and Georgia 5/16. The last few minutes of the game it seemed neither team wanted to win as Florida's John Sanchez lost a fumble deep in their own territory but the defense held on 4th and 2 from the 3 to keep the score 13-7. Given a mulligan to run out the clock, John Sanchez fumbled again. Georgia was now given a mulligan to score a TD after taking over in the red zone and they didn't turn it over on downs. Instead Adam Patrick was sacked and lost a fumble, allowing Florida to finally run out the clock.

(NY) Stars 25 Oklahoma 22 (OT)

New York took another step toward a playoff spot (standings glitch in play, covered in the playoff thread) with a thrilling 4th qtr comeback to force OT, where they got the game winning FG after Raymond Settles threw his 2nd INT of the game. The first one Settles threw led to a Stars FG, then he threw a pair of TD passes to give the Outlaws a 14-3 lead in the 3rd.

Early in the 4th, New York got a safety to cut the lead to 14-5 before Settles threw his 3rd TD pass, 2nd to Domenic Winstead, who had himself a game, catching 8 for 207 yards. Oklahoma went for 2 and got it for a 22-5 lead. New York would claw back into the game with a FG and a Jamie Orman TD pass, making the score 22-15. The Stars defense forced a punt and Orman led another TD drive, throwing a 24 yard TD pass to Charles Conlon on the last play of regulation, with the XP sending the game to extra time.

New York got the ball first and went three and out before the defense came up with the INT that led to the game winning kick.

Memphis 37 Houston 28

Houston could have clinched a playoff berth with a win but the Gamblers offense settled for too many FGs and the usually stout run defense was gashed for 280 yards and 2 TDs. The pass defense allowed just 191 yards on 17/28 passing, with 3 sacks and an INT but they allowed Ricky Copeland to throw 3 TDs.

Memphis took a 23-16 lead early in the 4th before Dale Baber's 1st and only TD pass cut the score to 23-22. Instead of trying the tying XP, Houston went for 2 and failed, so they tried an onside kick that also failed. Memphis took advantage of the field position with a TD run for a 30-22 lead with under 6 minutes left. Houston ripped down the field, getting a quick TD but the 2 point try failed again, as did the onside kick. That led to another Memphis TD and the defense sealed the win by intercepting Baber on the next drive.

Cleveland 20 Arizona 6

Cleveland may have been eliminated but new owner Shark1720 took Arizona to the couch with him, eliminating the Wranglers with a win today. Cleveland had a balanced attack with 173 rushing yards and 204 net passing yards while the defense held Arizona to 125 total yards with 13 sacks and 2 INTs. Benjamin Aragon led the sack parade with 5.

Philadelphia 15 New Jersey 3

New Jersey needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, and while their defense kept Philadelphia out of the end zone all day, the offense couldn't crack the end zone either, turning the game into a kicking contest. Philadelphia won that by punting 8 times and kicking 5 FGs while the Generals managed just 1 FG, punting 11 times.

More Week 15

San Jose 45 Honolulu 30

Larry Henderson and Lee Ramos had great games as San Jose scored 42 points in the 1st half en route to a 45-30 win. Henderson completed 42/64, 709 yards and 4 TDs with zero INTs and 9 sacks taken. Ramos caught 20 for 325 yards and a TD, with the 325 being tops in the league this season. James Valdez chipped in 2 rushing TDs for the SaberCats. Honolulu QB Victor Russell threw 4 TD passes of his own but the 2nd half comeback fell short.

Detroit 27 Chicago 9

Chicago out gained Detroit by 123 yards and had double the first downs (22-11) but they lost the turnover battle 3-0, leading to the Blitz losing the game. When they weren't turning it over, they weren't converting in the red zone, settling for FGs on all 3 trips while Detroit scored TDs on 3 of their 5. Chicago will still host a playoff game despite a losing record as the winners of the Midwest.

Orlando 18 Shreveport 0

Orlando tuned up for the playoffs by shutting out Shreveport today. The Renegades got 2 TD passes from Dwayne Byrd, who led a balanced attack and converted 10/19 on 3rd down. The Orlando defense had no sacks or turnovers but they also allowed just 105 yards.

Jacksonville 25 Michigan 3

Jacksonville out gained Michigan by nearly 200 yards and William Barron threw 2 TD passes as the Bulls get their 9th win of the season. The Jacksonville defense limited Willie Reddish to 10/31 passing for 65 yards and an INT. The Bulls need to beat Florida in Week 16 to ensure a playoff spot, although a loss may still get them in, pending New York's result and tiebreakers.

New Orleans 33 Southern California 10

New Orleans wasn't their best on offense today despite racking up 451 yards. Willie Graham threw 2 TDs but also threw 2 INTs and took 5 sacks. The VooDoo defense didn't force any turnovers but they did record 8 sacks and held the Sun below 200 yards. New Orleans may or may not have a shot at the #1 seed if Pittsburgh loses, but that has yet to happen so looking like Wildcard Weekend for this 14 win team.

Birmingham 27 Tampa Bay 3

Russell Gall threw for 3 TDs, Arnold Griego caught 5 for 144 yards and 1 TD, and the Stallions scored 27 unanswered points after the Bandits took a 3-0 lead. The Birmingham defense intercepted 3 passes, had 3 sacks and recovered a fumble.

Charlotte 13 Boston 6

Charlotte took the ball to start the game and it took them just over 2 minutes to score the game's only TD, a 2 yard run by Anthony Gray. The teams traded FGs from there and Charlotte comes away with the victory. As of now, Boston would have the #1 pick in next year's draft.

Baltimore 20 Washington 19

Baltimore QB Hector Bednar threw for 325 yards and 3 TDs to lead the Stars to a sloppy victory over Washington. Sloppy because Baltimore turned the ball over 4 times, 3 on Bednar INTs and he took a sack for a safety, but the Stars defense intercepted Michael Erickson 4 times while also recovering a fumble. In the 4th qtr, Washington turned the ball over on 3 straight drives then ran out of time as the game clock expired with them near midfield as Baltimore overcame a 19-7 halftime deficit with 13 4th qtr points to steal the win.

I'm ready to start typing up the playoff previews and game recaps but life calls as it's Election Day. I don't vote in every election but I am today and I want to vote soon after they open at 630 am. I need to go to the grocery and they open at 6, and if I don't get going soon, I'll say screw it I'm staying home.

When I do get to the game recaps, I'll probably be quick as it turns out only 2 games really mattered for the playoffs. Houston and Jacksonville won their games which made the Memphis game moot and ensured New York didn't have to sweat tiebreakers. To summarize Week 16 quickly, we had 16 total games...

Playoff Implications: Hou @ So. Cal; Jax @ Fla

Would have had implications if Houston and/or Jacksonville lost: SA @ Mem; Phil @ (NY) Stars

No playoff implications: Cle @ Det; Den @ Ari; Shr @ Bos; Hon @ Mich

Playoff Teams Tuning Up/Seed Jockeying: Chi @ TB; GA @ Orl; Cha @ Oak; Birm @ SJ; Okl @ NJ; LA @ NO; Port @ Wash; Pitt @ Balt

Today in Ohio, aside from the usual school levies and local races we are voting on abortion and recreational marijuana. We're already a medical marijuana state but a lot of Ohioans do go to Michigan for the recreational stuff so we need to keep tax dollars in state.

As far as abortion goes, I'm a man so I feel that precludes me from having an opinion since I can't have an abortion.

For the most part I think elections are BS and can be manipulated but I still do my part and vote sometimes.

Don't go down the wrong road like we have gone down in Michigan. Seriously looking to move out of Michigan . Life long resident . Agreed on the legitimacy of elections .

Week 16

Jacksonville 7 Florida 6

Florida would have made the playoffs with a win and they started the game on the right path as Jackie Huhn fumbled the opening kickoff with the Blazers recovering just outside the red zone. They had to settle for a FG though for a 3-0 lead. Jacksonville didn't have to worry about the next kickoff as it was a touchback, although 3 plays into the drive William Barron threw an interception. They once again had to settle for 3, taking a 6-0 lead 6 minutes into the game.

The rest of the drives ended in punts until the 4th qtr, except for right before halftime. Early in the 4th, Jacksonville started a drive at their own 13 and 12 plays later Patrick Edwards scored on a 2 yard run, with Charles Tello's XP giving the Bulls the lead. Florida would have 2 more drives to get a FG or TD but they never got close enough.

This win not only puts Jacksonville in the playoffs, it also meant that New York didn't have to worry about tiebreakers possibly keeping them out.

Houston 42 Southern California 13

Houston needed a win to get into the playoffs without having to watch the scoreboard hoping Memphis lost, and while the Sun hung tough in the first half, the Gamblers offense was just too much in the second half as they win going away.

Dale Baber completed 22/30, 404 yards, 5 TDs and 2 INTs with 2 sacks. Randy Savage scored 2 TDs, 1 rushing, 1 receiving, with a combined 196 yards, Harley Race had 116 receiving yards and a TD while Lex Luger caught 2 TDs.

The Gamblers were a perfect 4 for 4 scoring TDs in the red zone and they converted 5/8 3rd downs. Defensively, they weren't lights out as they allowed nearly 6 yards a carry and forced no turnovers but the pass defense held the Sun below 60% completions and had 6 sacks.

San Antonio 19 Memphis 10

Not much to talk about regarding this game as the Houston victory locked Memphis from making the playoffs and these teams combined for 19 punts and 5 FGs. San Antonio got a 6 yard TD run from Glenn Graham as they took a 13-0 halftime lead. Memphis would get a FG to start the 2nd half but they followed that up with 4 punts and an INT before finally scoring a TD on their final drive.

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That's all for now, gonna take a nap

Michigan has legit representation in MFN. At least three confirmed. That’s 1% of MFN population.

It's crazy how much we rely for banking and other business online but voting online can't happen ???

There is a multi-billion dollar gambling industry online and most people have moved money from their phone or computer but a method to safely vote online hasn't been designed & approved?

The government trusts computers to file income taxes and fraud is minimal based on using your social security number so voting online should be an option. I believe the fact that a system hasn't been approved proves election fraud is rampant and online voting would limit their ability to manipulate the votes.

Rant over, I know this really is the venue to air my thoughts on this but it really irks me as a person who works for the government. I couldn't do my job without the internet and computers but we still use punch ballots in some districts...insane!

Game planning done and ready to take my beating!!!! LMAO