Yes we got off track…My Brother’s Wedding…Senior Homecoming…County Fair…Broken Air Conditioners…Substitute Teachers backing into my daughter’s car…Actual Work at Work…and HOLY SHIT THE CUBS WON THE WORLD SERIES…all contributed to delaying it…but here it is…making sure everyone gets all the recognition they deserve…a special double packed edition…heavy on stats and light on frivolity…and the 1st look at the Playoffs…lets get right to it…
Drew Brees (XFA)
Week 7 saw 0 30 point passers…the Android started things on Thursday Night with the 2nd most attempts of his career going 39 of 56 (69.6%) for 326 yards…the first 300 yard game of his 2016 season…3 Touchdowns with no Picks but 1 lost Fumble was good enough for a 100.2 Quarterback Rating and set the bar at 27 points…fresh off his Week 6 POTW title…Drew Brees had his most efficient outing of his 2016 Season going 37 of 48 (77.1%) for 367 yards against the Chiefs…the 100th 300 yard game of his Career…he matched the 3 Touchdowns but also threw a Pick-6 to end with 29 points…Brees is the 2nd player to win the Quarterback of the Week award in back-2-back weeks this year…it is his 3rd title on the season…and the 3rd trophy on the year for X-Factor…
Derek Carr (HUS)
Week 8 had 3 players reach a 4 Touchdown minimum requirement to qualify for this award…Tom Brady continued his dominant return tour…TDQBITU™ posted the highest Quarterback Rating of the bunch (137.0) going 22 of 33 (66.7%) for 315 yards and 4 Touchdowns against the Bills…he added 15 Rushing Yards to reach 32 points…Aaron Rodgers dueled with Matt Ryan going 28 of 38 (73.7%) for 246 yards…he added a 2-Point Conversion to his 4 Touchdowns and 60 yards Rushing to pull ahead to 36 points…After an impressive 29 of 44 (65.9%) and 3 Touchdown outing…Derek Carr was 1 short of his personal best at 350 yards when the 4th Quarter ended…in 13:15 of Overtime against the Bucs…Carr went 11 of 15 for another 163 yards to reach a Personal and Raiders record of 513 yards including the Game Winning 41 yard Touchdown pass to Seth Roberts to end on 41 points…tying a Husslers Team Record set in Week 8 of Last Season (Eli Manning)…It is the 1st Quarterback of the Week award for Carr…the 2nd trophy on the year for Husslers…
Melvin Gordon (HUR)
Jeremy Hill was the most efficient Running Back in Week 7 with 168 yards on only 9 carries (18.7 ypc!) and a Touchdown to post 26 points for the Grandmasters…but the rest of the competition was all Hurricanes…3 of the Top-4 backs came from John’s roster…Le’Veon Bell…David Johnson…and Melvin Gordon accumulated 24 Receptions…100 total touches…and 441 combined yards from scrimmage…ultimately it was Melvin Gordon and his 3 trips to the Endzone against the Falcons that gave him the edge to take the title with 35 points…It is the 1st Running Back of the Week award on the year for Gordon…the 3rd Running Back award…and 6th overall trophy on the year for Hurricanes…
Theo Riddick (HUS)
Week 8 saw 4 Running Backs cross the 20 point barrier…Devonta Freeman posted the fewest yards with only 35 Rushing and 23 Receiving…but he had 4 Receptions and a pair of Touchdowns to end the day at 21 points…Matt Forte and Jonathan Stewart both had 25 carries…and both scored 2 Touchdowns of their own…Stewart went for 13 more yards (95 to 82) but lost a Fumble to keep them both tied at 23 Points…Theo Riddick faced a tough Texans defense…but still set a Personal Best with 56 yards Rushing and another Personal Best with 77 yards Receiving on 8 Catches…a single Touchdown was enough to take the title with 26 points…it is the 1st Running Back of the Week award for Riddick…and the 3rd trophy on the year for Husslers…
AJ Green (BBA)
Week 7 was a race to see who could reach 30 points…Randall Cobb got the early start on Thursday Night…he played double duty as a Running Back and Wide Receiver getting 5 Carries and 11 Catches on 15 Targets for 116 combined yards from scrimmage…a Touchdown with 5:35 to play brought him to 28 points…Mike Evans continued his Target lead on the season getting 13 more and pulling in 8 of them for 96 yards and 2 Touchdowns to edge just ahead to 29 points…AJ Green would prove to be the most efficient of the bunch hauling in all 8 of his Targets for 169 yards (21.1 ypc!) including this sick 48 yard Touchdown in Quadruple Gang Coverage to take the title with 30 points…Green is our 1st repeat winner for Wide Receiver of the Week…it is the 3rd Wide Receiver award and 8th overall trophy on the year for Bubba Army…
Amari Cooper (RNT)
Week 8 only really had 1 competitor for this award as no other Wide Receiver would finish within 11 points…when your Quarterback of the Week sets Franchise Records…someone has to be on the other end of the throws…and Amari Cooper was the primary benefactor…targeted a Personal Best 15 times…he hauled in a Personal Best 12 Receptions…for a Personal Best 173 yards…his longest of the day was 34 yards for his sole Touchdown in the 3rd Quarter against the Buccaneers that gave the Raiders their 1st lead of the game on the way to the Overtime Victory…35 Points is also his TBFL Best (previously 30…2015 Week 15)…it is the 1st Wide Receiver of the Week award for Cooper…the 4th overall trophy on the year for Runs N Throses…
Josh Lambo (UOG)
Week 7 saw 3 different Kickers reach our 11 point target…Justin Tucker only received 4 Kick Opportunities against the Jets…but he converted on 1 Extra Point and 3 Field Goals including a 50 yard bonus earner to end right at 11 points…Matt Bryant needed 7 Kick Opportunities against the Chargers…he converted on 3 Extra Points and 3 Field Goals…but missed on 1 more attempt to finish tied with 11 points…UO Grandmasters found themselves with disgraced Kicker Josh Brown…and dropped him for Waiver Wire find Josh Lambo in Week 7…Lambo (How is this guy not a Packer?) rewarded with perfection on 7 Kick Opportunities….4 Field Goals and 3 Extra Points to reach 15…it is the 1st Kicker of the Week award for Lambo…and the 2nd overall trophy on the year for the Grandmasters…
Caleb Sturgis (WAR)
Week 8 brought us 4 more Kickers to get to 11 or better…but the Top 2 will be our only concern as they tied at 12 points…Caleb Sturgis went into a hostile Cowboys Stadium and followed our Golden Path…getting 5 Kick Opportunities and hitting them all with 2 Extra Points and 3 Field Goals including a 55 yard Bonus Earner as time expired in the half to reach 12 points…Stephen Gostkowski had 7 Kick Opportunities as the Patriots offense could not be stopped and he got 5 Extra Points and only 2 Field Goals including his own 51 yarder as half time expired…both on the road…both 100%…no game winners really…we go to the stand by of total Kick Yards giving Sturgis the edge 119 to 83…it is his 1st Kicker of the Week award…the 2nd Kicker title and 4th overall trophy on the year for the Warriors…
Philadelphia Eagles (XFA)
Week 7 featured a battle of 2 Top Defenses…1 favored at home trying to stay undefeated…and 1 who needed the win to try and stay competitive in their Division…through 1 Quarter of play neither side would budge holding the other scoreless…and it was the Vikings who scored 1st with a 48 yard Field Goal…but the Eagles took the ensuing Kickoff back 98 yards the other way and used that as inspiration to hold the Purple Gang scoreless for the next 38:35 of play finally relenting a 14 yard score with 34 seconds to play…6 Sacks…3 Fumble Recoveries…an Interception..and a 5 point Low Score bonus gave them the title at 25 points…it is their 1st Defense of the Week award…and the 4th overall trophy on the year for X-Factor…
Denver Broncos (HUR)
Week 8 featured our top finishing Defenses playing head-2-head…The Chargers had the 1st Quarter edge with a 7 to 3 game score advantage…but the Broncos Defense then got 3 of their 4 sacks and a Pick-6 in the 2nd Quarter to right the ship…they Intercepted Rivers on the Chargers 1st 2 drives of the 2nd Half to hold a 10 point lead…but the Chargers forced 2 Fumbles and got a Pick-6 of their own to eliminate any low score bonus in the 4th Quarter…the Broncos responded by Blocking the ensuing Extra Point…and forced Rivers to throw 7 incompletions on his last 9 passes to hold the win 18 Points to 13…it is the Broncos 2nd Defense of the Week award on the season and the 7th overall trophy on the year for Hurricanes…
Team of the Week
Week 7 got started on Thursday Night with Money Inc taking the early lead over Armed N Dangerous 28 to 27…Warriors entire team played in the Sunday AM games setting the new target at 106…Afternoon games saw Money Inc climb back into the lead with 120 points…a 40 point effort from Hurricanes Cardinals (even in a 3-3 tie?) launched them into the top slot with 154…and Denver’s Defense added the icing to the cake as they topped out at 165 points…achieving 100% Roster Efficiency…it is the highest score this Season…ties as the 12th Highest TBFL Score of all time…and is the 4th highest score in Hurricanes Team History…it is their 3rd award this season and the 20th overall for the Franchise…
Chump of the Week
After Week 7’s Sunday Afternoon Games…Fudgie Whales trailed the pack with only 58 points…followed by UO Grandmasters at 71…and Husslers who had capped out with 3 starting position players having just 1 point at 72 points…Sunday Night Football overtime action helped the Grandmasters…but still left the Whales in the bottom slot at 68…on Monday Night Football…Demaryius Thomas (that looks wrong every time I type it…) caught a Touchdown pass in the 2nd Quarter to carry them up to 84 leaving Husslers in the bottom slot…ending the 2nd Longest Active Chump Avoidance streak at 40 Weeks…Husslers last earned this award in Week 5 of the 2013 Season…it is only their 8th Chump Award as a Franchise…
Team of the Week
Apparently breaking a 40 Week Streak proved motivational for Husslers in Week 8…nailing the Quarterback of the Week and the Running Back of the Week propelled them to the early lead after the Sunday AM slate…and they never gave it up…climbing up 19 points higher on the back of newly acquired Melvin Gordon…and tacking on an additional 10 from the Bears Defense on Monday Night to reach 139…it ended another Long Streak of 20 Weeks without winning this award…last won by Husslers in Week 13 of the 2014 Season…they are the 1st team to go from Worst to First in back-2-back weeks since X-Factor in Weeks 5 and 6 of last Season…it is only their 3rd time winning the award as a Franchise…
Chump of the Week
Week 8 saw another long streak fall for the Chump Category…after making the most of the Week 8 Trade Deadline to build up keeper talent…Kevin kept newly acquired Howard and Crowder on the bench…and started James White over Chris Hogan in the New England game…a very un-Thrashers like 54% efficiency rating was the result…capping out at only 72 of 133 Possible Points..and earning them their 5th Coulda Won game in their 5th loss of the Season…it is Thrashers 1st time earning this title since Week 6 of last year ending a 14 Week streak of avoiding this award…it is their 19th time winning the award as a Franchise…
Chump Survivor
Week 7 truly showed that timing is everything…the Top-5 scores of the week all came from our 5 previously eliminated teams…Husslers becomes the 6th different Chump Award winner in 6 Weeks and is eliminated…Average scoring fell 2 points back to 106…the top score of our remaining teams…and more than the Potential Scores of the bottom 3…even with Playground Legends All-Bench Running Back…
Week 8 marked the 7th straight week with a different Chump Award winner and Bay Area Thrashers is eliminated…Thrashers had previously never exited the contest earlier than Week 9 (2012)…average scoring stayed the same at 106 points…but the highs were not as high…with scores grouping in the middle only 2 teams failed to crack the 100 point mark…
Notes & Numbers
Just 2 teams failing to crack the Century Mark has only happened 4 times in League History…
-2011 Week 2 – Average Score 115 – FUD 74…MNY 93
-2011 Week 3 – Average Score 105 – FUD 67…UOG 71
-2013 Week 1 – Average Score 124 – XFA 74…WAR 83
-2016 Week 8 – Average Score 106 – BAT 72…UOG 93
Just 1 team failing to crack the Century Mark has only happened 1 time in League History…
-2013 Week 9 – Average Score 114 – MNY 93
7 points shy is the closest we have ever come to everyone going over…
After 8 Weeks of TBFL Action…the Buccaneers Division has all teams sitting at a .500 or better record…last accomplished by the Storm Division in 2014…
Playoff Picture
Week 9 will end the 1st round of Divisional Opponents…so it is time to start looking at how the 2016 TBFL Playoffs are coming together…
If the Playoffs started today:
#1 Seed - BBA (6-2-0) - Div Champion (By Div Record over HUR) #2 Seed - HUR (6-2-0) - Div Champion #3 Seed - AND (4-3-1) - Div Champion #4 Seed - WAR (5-3-0) - Wildcard (By H2H win over RNT) #5 Seed - RNT (5-3-0) - Wildcard #6 Seed - XFA (4-4-0) - Wildcard
Bubba Army’s and Hurricanes’ paths will not cross during the Regular Season…so the other tie breakers will become even more important to determine their seeding…after the hot start for the Army…Hurricanes has surpassed them in Total Points for the season…but has yet to win a Division Game…
Bubba Army currently has the tightest hold on their Division Crown with all competitors at least 2½ games back…Armed N Dangerous has a 1½ game edge on every other team in the Storm Division…and Hurricanes has only a 1 game lead on Warriors and Runs N Throses…a 2 game lead on X-Factor…but Josh is still perfect in Division play…and has a head-2-head tiebreaker on Bubba Army…Hurricanes…and Warriors…
Warriors has the toughest challenge to stay in the hunt with 2 games yet to be played against Hurricanes…and their last non-Division opponent in Week 10 is Bubba Army…
On the outside looking in:
FUD - (3-4-1) (By 3 Total Points advantage over HUS) HUS - (3-4-1) PGL - (3-5-0) (By H2H wins over BAT and UOG) BAT - (3-5-0) (By Div Record over UOG) UOG - (3-5-0) MNY - (1-6-1)
Money Inc is technically still in the Bandit Division title hunt sitting 4½ back with 5 to play…but things look dire with 3 of his 100 point players off Week 11 for the start of the Gauntlet Weeks…
Husslers like Warriors above has a tough road to climb the ladder…they have 2 games still to play against Bubba Army and their last non-Division opponent in Week 10 is Hurricanes…the tie shared with Fudgie Whales means they are currently a rung down due to trailing in Total Points 829 to 826…although technically 1…more…yard…from Theo Riddick in Week 3 (9 yards Rushing…39 yards Receiving) would have given them that win…and the last Wildcard slot…
Playground Legends is still perfect in Storm Division play and gets 2 head-2-head matches with Armed N Dangerous…in between could be a possible Make-or-Break game with Runs N Throses in Week 10…
With the floor of the Playoffs still at only 4 Wins…no one has been officially eliminated and we have no entrants yet into the 2016 Empire Cup race…