A new face for the Quarterback of the Week….A group of 2-time winners….An unlikely Defense….X-Factor’s Tale of 2 Teams continues….Milestones for Money Inc and Warriors….oh yeah….and the Playoff Picture….all await in this week’s edition….
The Android nailed his usual 27 points per game but it was not enough to complete the 3-peat….Instead 2 #1 Draft Picks would go head-2-head in a fight for this week’s award….Cam Newton went 22 of 38 for 280 yards with 1 TD in the air and his Rookie QB Record setting 8th and 9th TDs on the ground….Meanwhile Matthew Stafford let only 8 passes touch the ground going 28 of 36 for 335 yards and 5 scores in the air….Ultimately 4 Interceptions thrown by the rookie signal caller gave Stafford the edge to victory and the Grandmasters their 3rd Player of the Week trophy on the year….
Ray Rice nails his 2nd Player of the Week award for his 2nd team this year in dominating fashion….The 2011 #1 Draft Pick averaged 5.2 yards per carry hitting the 100+ yard mark for the 3rd time this season with 2 trips to the end zone….That alone was enough to lock up the title for this week, but Ray put in the extra effort of converting 50% of his 10 passing targets for another 43 yards in the air….This is the 2nd Running Back award for X-Factor and their 9th on the year….They are 1 more Quarterback award away from hitting for the cycle twice this year….
Husslers have not given up in their attempt to unseat the slumping Bubba Army in the chase for the Bandit Division title….Jordy Nelson has led the effort now putting up back-2-back wins at this position….2 Wide Receivers from Husslers and 2 more from Hurricanes made the Top-5 this week but Nelson’s 6 grabs for 123 yards and 2 Touchdowns were just enough to get by the competition….This is his 3rd game over 100 yards and he is tied for the lead in Touchdowns over the last 3 weeks with 5….This is Husslers 4th trophy on the year….
Matt Bryant is now the 3rd Kicker on the season to manage to repeat a Player of the Week performance….a seemingly pedestrian day with 3 Field Goals and 2 Extra Points but it was enough to take the award by 1 from this week’s opposing kicker Stephen Gostkowski….the award is the 5th for the UO Grandmasters on the year….all of them earned in Special Teams positions….
Coming into Week 11 the Patriots defensive unit averaged only 6.2 points a game for 56 on the season….The 27 point explosion in Week 11 was nearly 50% of their entire production on the year….3 sacks and 3 interceptions including a Pick-6 left them tied for the 13th highest Defensive score of all time….and tied with the 49ers Week 5 performance for the 4th best of the year….This is Runs N Throses 2nd Defensive Player of the Week trophy and their 7th award on the year….
Team(s) of the Week
The split award seems to fit X-Factor well as they are truly the Jekyll and Hyde team this year….This week finds them hitting 99.2% efficiency leaving only 1 point on the bench and getting within 16 points of taking the scoring title away from Runs N Throses….they increase their own All-Play record to 71.1% at 85-34-2….but don’t walk away with their 3rd award of the year….Instead Money Inc clings on to their own Wildcard hopes as they win their 25th Bandit Division game….taking 65 tries to reach the Milestone….and end deadlocked with X-Factor at 124 points….our 2nd tie for this award on the year….
Chump of the Week
Our first Team of the Week winner on the year….it has taken 10 weeks for the Warriors to reach the bottom rung of the ladder….but the slide may not stop there….already on a 6 game streak dating back to Week 6….they are 2 games away from surpassing UO Grandmaster’s longest streak of the year and face the 2 highest scoring teams in the league for the last 2 games of the season….
Who Wants it More
After 11 Weeks of TBFL action, we still have 0 teams that have clinched a Division Title….Runs N Throses loss to X-Factor drops them back into a 2-loss tie with Hurricanes who now take over the Buccaneer Division lead with the head-2-head victory in Week 6….Hurricanes looks to close out the Throsers with a win in their Game of the Week matchup in Week 12….A win by Runs N Throses still does not guarantee them the title as a loss against the Warriors in Week 13 could still push them back into 2nd place….
In the other 2 team race….Husslers has climbed within 2 games of the Bandit Division Title with 2 still to play….Bubba Army has now blown 2 opportunities to lock Husslers out putting up the lowest score in the Division for the past 2 weeks….Their Magic Number is still 1 however as an Army win or a Husslers loss guarantees them the crown….
Bay Area Thrashers struggles the past 2 weeks have allowed both Armed N Dangerous and Playground Legends to stay in the hunt for the Storm Division title….both teams are now only 1 game back with 2 still to play….Armed N Dangerous would take the lead with a victory over their rivals this week forcing Thrashers possibly into 3rd place due to them already losing 2 times to the Legends….Thrashers will have to win their next 2 to lock out the challengers….
If the Playoffs Started Today:
#1 HUR 9-2 (By head-2-head win over RNT)
#2 BBA 7-4 (By head-2-head win over BAT)
#3 BAT 7-4
#4 RNT 9-2
#5 AND 6-5 (By head-2-head win over PLA)
#6 PLA 6-5
On the Bubble
XFA 5-6 (By 248 total points over HUS)
HUS 5-6
MNY 4-7
Empire Cup Participants
UOG 3-8
WAR 3-8
FUD 2-9
With the victories needed for a Wildcard now clicked up to 6 or better, UO Grandmasters, Warriors, and Fudgie Whales have officially been eliminated from contention….Money Inc is still technically alive, but will be eliminated if the bar gets raised to 7 wins….X-Factor cannot win their own Division but can shake up the Wildcard picture due to their tie breakers over all the competing teams….Husslers can still make a run at the last Wildcard spots even if they come up short on their push for the Division title….