Over the last couple of weeks the Weekly Recap has been dedicated to writing about Division standings, playoff implications, and future USFFL games that I am looking forward to watching and reading about. Now that we have just completed Week 16, and most of the playoff positions have been secured, I’d like to take a second to thank the men behind keeping this league going. Furthermore, Commissioner Tim Ervin has done an amazing job in the weekly Playoff Overview Slack Channel analyzing all of the possible outcomes and what-if’s that could happen in Week 17. If you have not read his thorough analysis, head over to slack right now and check out #wk17_playoffoverview it’s a great read.

I’d like to dedicate the first half of this column reflecting on the season and thinking about how we got here. For me, the USFFL Season XX was my favorite season yet. I joined the USFFL in 2017 and got lucky enough to manage my home town favorite team the Los Angeles Rams. The 2016 cards were terrible (as you recall 2016 was Jeff Fisher’s last year), and the Rams had just returned to LA. Case Keenum was my starting QB. But I didn’t care. I had played the board version Strat-o-matic Football in Jr. High School and High School, and the computer version for the 98-99 seasons, but it had been almost two decades since I last played the game. And it was fun to be back!

I played the next couple of seasons and had middling results, but I was really looking forward to the 2018 cards. This was the season that the Rams went all the way to the Super Bowl for goodness sake.

Then September 2019 slipped into October 2019. The cards had been out for months and the USFFL had not started. Finally, on October 7 the founder and original commissioner of the USSFFL posted an email stating that he was busy with a new job and would not be able to continue running the league. We ruminated over the news that the USFFL was going to collapse for a few weeks, and then Vince Trivelpiece posted the following: 

Tim Ervin was quick to pick up the mantle and before you knew it we had volunteers to be the League Commissioner, Software Administrator, Recruiter, Slack Admin, Team Assignment Coordinator, Email Group Admin, Injury Tracker, Web Admin, and general software technical support. Before you knew it a few weeks later the USFFL was back in action and we had a league again!

So for those of you enjoying this USFFL season, know that it was the hard work of many of your fellow league members who stepped up, took over leadership positions and got this league back up and running when it could have easily folded.

So, why was this season the most fun for me to date? Well, first of all, I feel like I am finally starting to really understand the strategy of the game. It was only after watching (and losing) to many of you tremendous coaches that I realize the nuances of specific play calls and defensive sets. This year I was only one loss below the expected number of wins for my team, and next year I am hoping to do even better. But even more important than wins and losses is the fact that my best friend and one of the guys I played Strat-o-matic football with 35 years ago back in High School, Tim Hay, joined the league with us. This season has been so much fun to have a real community around the USFFL. I feel like the weekly winner’s slack post, the playoff overviews and the Game of the Week have really created a fun experience that I look forward to being a part of this year and moving forward. I am also looking forward to joining the league Live Broadcasts that Anthony and Tim kicked off this week.

So as the regular season turns to the excitement of the playoffs, remember that this whole thing could have easily gone another direction. I am glad for the fact that Tim Ervin, Scott Mueller, Dennis Crowley, Mike Niemczura, and Tony Telleria stepped up and kept this league going. I truly enjoy these games and this community and I truly appreciate the work these guys have done to make the league possible. Thanks guys!

And now, back to our regular programming:

Game of The Week

The Dallas Cowboys held off the Philadelphia Eagles, 31-24 in a big Week 16 NFC East matchup. The Eagles had a chance to send the game into overtime on the last play of regulation. They had a first down at the Cowboy’s 13 with one second left. Carson Wentz’s pass was intended for Nelson Agholor who was in single coverage. Defense guessed right.  His pass fell incomplete. The roll was receiver on Wentz’s card. A roll of a nine on Agholor’s card would have been a TD. The roll was an eight. and the game was over. The first quarter was scoreless. Dallas missed a 48-yard field goal. The Eagles drove deep into Dallas territory. There drive was ended when Sean Lee intercepted a Wentz pass. The Cowboys got on the board first on a nine-yard TD pass from Dak Prescott to Amari Cooper with 9:36 left in the half. Ezekial Elliot scored on a three-yard run with 5:42 left in the half to put the Cowboys up 14-0.  The Eagles got on the board with a 42 yard field goal with 1:52 left in the half. The field goal was set up by a fumbled punt return that Philly recovered at the Dallas 22.  Dallas took the ensuing kickoff and drove to the Eagles’ 11-yard line before setting for a 28-yard field goal with 1 second left in the half to go up 17-3.Prescott connected with Michael Gallup for a 48-yard TD pass on the Cowboys’ first drive of the second half and Dallas was up 24-3, which as we know in Strat, is not a safe lead. The Eagles woke up. They drove 75-yards in four plays and scored on a 5-yard TD pass from Wentz to Dallas Goedert. Wentz hit DeSean Jackson on a 50-yard pass on the first play of the drive. Miles Sanders followed with a 20-yard run. Wentz hit Zach Ertz on a 4-yard TD pass with 18 seconds left in the third quarter to close the gap to 24-17, which was the score after three quarters. The Cowboys drove 70 yards on 13 plays on the ensuing drive to go up 31-17. The drive culminated on a 10-yard TD pass from Prescott to Amari Cooper with 9:54 left in the game. The Eagles drove 75 yards on 12 plays on the next drive to score a TD and bring the score within seven again at 31-24. The Eagles converted a 4th and six and a 4th and ten on the drive. (They were six-for-six on 4th down conversions in the game.) The drive culminated in a 5-yard TD pass from Wentz to Ertz with 4:30 remaining. Dallas started the next drive at their own 25. They converted two first downs, including one on a defensive holding penalty. The drive ended at the Phllly 45 when Dallas elected to punt on 4th and 2. The Eagles BLOCKED the punt. The Cowboys’ Elliot picked up the ball and tried to advance it but ended up five yards short of the first down. Philly took over at its own 47 with 1:37 left and down by seven. The Eagles converted a 4th and two at the Cowboy’s 33 when Sanders ran for seven yards. They had a 4th and seven at the Cowboy’s 23 that they converted on a 10 yard pass from Wentz to Goedert which set up the final play, which saw Wentz’ pass fall incomplete in the end zone. The win improved the Cowboy’s record to 11-4, while the Eagles fell to 10-5. The win likely clinched a playoff spot for the Cowboys (though I’m not 100% sure). The Eagles are still in the playoff hunt. They have qualified for the Coach of the Year playoffs in the event they don’t make the regular playoffs. Both teams have tough division matchups next week, as Dallas hosts the Washington Football Team and the Eagles travel to the Giants. As always Bruce coached a good game. It was a real battle. Dallas felt fortunate to get out of Philly with a win after losing to them 27-14 in Dallas early in the season Elliot finished with 128 yards rushing on 28 carries. Prescott completed 20 of 30 passes for 338 yards with no interceptions and three touchdowns. Wentz threw for 279 yards, completing 24 of 43 passes. He did throw one pick. Sanders was held relatively in check with 63 yards rushing on 19 carries. 

The USFFL took two weeks to complete the Week 15 slate of games over the holiday weekends. The results of this week’s games are notable because seven of the eight Division leaders won their games. The scores were as follows:

New England 19-14 over Cincinnati

Baltimore 27-26 over New York AFC

Tennessee 42-12 over Houston

Kansas City 31-13 over Denver

Dallas loses 24-14 to Los Angeles NFC

Green Bay 20-10 over Chicago

Atlanta 48-14 over San Francisco

Seattle 21-10 over Carolina

This dominant performance by the Division leaders left many of the second and third place teams in the position of win or risk dropping out of playoff contention.

Playoff Picture

AFC

After Week 15 The Patriots, Ravens, and Chiefs have each locked down first place in their respective Divisions. All three teams are 11-3 and vying for the first or second place rankings and that all-important playoff Bye. Tennessee has clinched the South at 10-4, but are a long shot for the first place seeding.

Wild-Card

The 9-5 Broncos have a tight claim on the first wild card spot, and their loss to Kansas City this week won’t likely drop them out of the playoff hunt. The second wild card is still up for grabs. If the season were to end today, the 7-7 Steelers would claim the second spot. Though the Jets are still in the running at 7-7, followed closely by the Texans, Raiders, and Browns at 6-8 each. The Browns helped their cause with a 34-24 win over the Cardinals, while the Texans, Raiders, and Jets each lost their week 15 matchup.

NFC

The picture in the NFC is not quite as clear as the AFC, with several Division titles still in play. The Cowboy’s loss combined with an Eagles win places the team from the City of Brotherly love in first place with two weeks to go. Both teams have a record of 10-4, but Philly holds the tiebreaker. Green Bay and Detroit both won their games, so the Packers hang on to their one game lead with two to go. Same situation in the South, both Atlanta and New Orleans won their games, allowing the Falcons to maintain a one game lead with two to go. In the West, Seattle’s win, combined with San Francisco’s loss give the Seahawks a little breathing room.

Wild-Card

The Cowboys currently claim the first wild card seed. If the season were to end today, the 9-5 Saints would find themselves on the outside looking in, however San Francisco’s 9-5 hold on the final wild card spot places them in a must-win situation over the next couple of weeks.

Week 16 Preview

The game I am most looking forward to in Week 16 is the matchup between the Cowboys and the Eagles. Right up there is the Pittsburgh at New York AFC, the winner of this game will hold the second wild card spot with one game to go. The teams have identical records and are fighting it out for the NFC East championship. Philadelphia won the first game this season 27-14. other games with playoff implications include LA at San Francisco, Detroit at Denver, and New Orleans at Tennessee.

Game of the Week

Baltimore Ravens 27 – New York Jets 26New York and Baltimore traded scores throughout the first half.  Baltimore held a 17-16 halftime lead thanks to a missed XP by Sam Ficken.  New York took the lead midway through the third quarter on a Sam Darnold 12 yard TD pass to Le’Veon Bell.  The score was set up by a Jordan Jenkins INT, one of two thrown by Lamar Jackson.  The Jets took a 26-17 lead early in the fourth quarter on a Sam Ficken 23 yard FG.  The score was set up by a 70 yard pass from Darnold to Robby Anderson.  The pass moved the ball from the Jets’ 20 to the Ravens’ 10.  The Jets’ inability to get the TD would prove costly.Following Ficken’s FG the Ravens’ responded with a clutch 6 play, 80 yard drive capped off with a 5 yard TD pass from Jackson to his favorite target, Mark Andrews.  The drive only took a little over 2 minutes off the clock.  The key play on the drive was a 30 yard run by Gus Edwards.  The run was costly as Edwards was injured on the play and will miss the next two weeks.  With the score at  26-24 the defenses stepped up.  The Ravens forced a three and out only to have to punt the ball  back to New York after getting one first down.  The Jets managed two first downs  before having to punt the ball back to the Ravens.  The punt left the Ravens with the ball at their own 23 yard line with 3:15 to play.A 1st down run by Jackson netted 3 yards followed by a Mark Ingram run that was stuffed for no gain.  On 3rd and 7 Jackson’s pass for Nick Boyle fell incomplete, but the Jets’ jumped offside giving Baltimore another chance.  Jackson’s 3rd and 2 pass was complete to Hayden Hurst for 14 yards moving the ball to the Ravens’ 45.  On 1st and 10 Jackson went back to Hurst for 1 yard.  On 2nd and 9 Jackson intended to go deep to Marquise Brown but instead saw an opening down the middle of the field.  Jackson took the opening and ran 30 yards to the Jets’ 24 yard line.  A 10 yard run by Mark Ingram moved the ball to the Jets’ 14 with 1:00 to play.  A Jackson 2 yard run was followed by a quick lookin to Mark Ingram who took the ball in for the TD.  However, a holding penalty negated the score and moved the ball back to the 22.  Two runs by Mark Ingram moved the ball to the Jets’ 17 setting up a 34 yard Justin Tucker FG with 30 seconds to play.  Tucker split the uprights but a false start moved the ball back to the 22.  The extra 5 yards did not affect Tucker in the least, making the 39 yarder with ease.  The kick gave the Ravens a 27-26 lead with 15 seconds to play.Justin Tucker’s kickoff sailed through the end zone resulting in a touchback.  On 1st and 10 from the 25 Sam Darnold  went deep to a double covered Robby Anderson and the pass was picked off by Earl Thomas.  A kneel down by Jackson ended the game.Donnie called a great game and would have pulled off the upset except for a missed XP and the inability to fully capitalize on the long pass to Robby Anderson.  Next week the Jets (7-7) host the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7) in a game with wildcard playoff implications.  The Ravens (11-3) travel to Cleveland to play the Browns (5-9). 

Weekly Leaders

Quarterbacks

Ryan Fitzpatrick was 42 of 65 for 426 yards and 3 TD’s in the Dolphin’s loss to the Giants. Daniel Jones and Matthew Stafford both threw for 4 TD’s.

Receivers

DeVante Parker had a whopping 16 receptions, 173 yards and 3 TD’s. Not surprisingly, another Dolphin receiver was second in receptions, with Patrick Laird hauling in 10 catches.

Running Backs

Saquon Barkley carried the ball 20 times for 303 yards, a 15.1 YPC average. This total puts Barkley over the 2000 yard mark, with 2094 in 14 games. Derrick Henry currently leads the league with 2261 yards on the ground. Henry scored 4 TD’s and carried for 261 yards in week 15.

Odds & Ends

Minnesota’s Anthony Harris and Detroit’s Darius Slay both hauled in two interceptions. New Orleans’ Cameron Jordan had 5 sacks.

First off, I would like to thank Arizona Cardinal’s Coach Tim Hay for stepping in to write this week’s Weekly recap. Thanks Tim!

In the AFC, New England beat Kansas City 18-13 in a battle for the #1 playoff seed. Baltimore made it a three way tie at the top of the conference with it’s 24-12 win over the Bills. Tennessee dominated in Oakland to keep it’s division lead while Houston beat the Broncos to keep them from tying KC atop the AFC West.

Over in the NFC, the Cowboys maintained their one game lead on the Eagles in the East with their 36-24 win over Chicago, which fell a game back of Green Bay in the North. San Francisco and Seattle stayed atop the West with their Week 17 game looming large. After falling to the Niners, the Saints dropped a game back of Atlanta in the South after the Falcons topped Carolina 30-14.

Division Leads

Check out Tim’s Week 15 Playoff Overview channel in Slack for the detailed playoff picture through Week 14.

Week 15 Preview

There are three Colossal battles with playoff implications this week:

Denver at Kansas City
Atlanta at San Francisco
Chicago at Green Bay

Feel free to share the game times and game numbers in Slack, Gentlemen!

Game of the Week

It was impossible to leave one out, so we chose two this week!

Game of the Week I

Jags Escape with a win against the Chargers 29-23. It was an absolute triller of a game! Matt made many great calls but Jacksonville benefited from getting a couple Long gain rolls.

Jaguars were up 9-0 with 5 mins to go in the 1st half. Then Matt led the Chargers on a 3 minute drive leading to a score 9-7. On the 1st play from scrimmage on the ensuing Jags drive, Gardner fumbled the ball giving it back to the Chargers in their red zone. It took Matt less then a minute to punch in another TD to make the score 14-9 at half.

The third quarter opened with a 7 min drive from the Chargers leading to a FG 17-9. On the following Jags drive, the Jags hit on a long gain roll and Chris Conley scored a 63 yard TD making it 17-15 after a failed 2 point attempt. The Chargers next drive led them to another FG 20-15. The next Jaguars drive had another long gain and ended with a Leonard Fournette TD run from 4 yards out 21-20 Jags. On the following drive the Chargers scored another FG to make it 23-21 with 5:42 to go. The Jags got the ball back, but then stalled and punted with 4 mins to go. A similar thing then happened to Matt and the Chargers and they gave it back to the Jags with roughly 3 mins to go. Jacksonville then with the help of another long gain, managed to March down the field and score a game winning TD with 8 secs left to make it 29-23 Jags (2 point successful).

Great game Matt again! First time the Jags have ever seen 3 long gains in one game so luck was certainly with me.

Game of the Week II

Seattle and the Rams played a defensive battle in this one. At halftime the score was merely 3-3 and everyone who bet the over were tearing up their tickets. With the Rams playing at home and fighting for their playoff lives I knew this was going to be a tough game. In the second half Jared Goff connected on a 50-yard bomb to Brandin Cooks catching Seattle napping. Taylor Rapp picked off Russell Wilson giving the Rams a short field.  Head Coach Scott Schumacher took advantage of it. He drive inside the 10 where Goff hit Tyler Higbee on an 8-yard TD.  Suddenly the Hawks were down 14 points with time running out in the 3rd quarter. The Hawks drove the length of the field and Wilson hit David Moore on a 24-yard TD. Then, following the analytics trend of going for two down 14 the Hawks decided to do the same. Wilson hit Rashaad Penny for the conversion and now they were down only 6. Rams 17 – Seahawks 11. The Hawks forced a punt and felt the momentum shift their way. But a Dante Fowler strip-sack gave the Rams the ball with a chance to go up by two scores again with time running out.  Seattle’s defense played bend but don’t break and the Rams sent out Greg Zuerlein to try a 45-yard field goal. He shanked it! Whew! The Hawks then took over and put a long drive capped by a 5-yard Penny TD run. After a normal conversion this time the Hawks were on top 18-17. But there was still 8-minutes left. Scott drove the field and kicked the go-ahead field goal with 5:42 to go in the game.  A key play was a successful 4th down conversion to keep the drive alive.  But Seattle still had a ton of time and they took the ball 16-plays and 69-yards and kicked the game-winning field goal with just :15 left on the clock at the 2-yard line. Seahawks survive! Fun game. Final score Seattle Seahawks 21 – Los Angeles Rams 20

Weekly Leaders

Passing

Ryan Fitzpatrick 30-57 for 361 yards and 3 TD’s
Drew Brees 3-44 for 313 yards and 4 TD’s

Rushing

Nick Chubb 30 for 181 yards and 2 TD’s
Le’Veon Bell 28 for 122 yards and 4 TD’s
Derrick Henry 23 for 179 yards and 2 TD’s. Henry hit the 2000 yard plateau.

Receiving

Julio Jones 16 for 137 yards
Allen Robinson 10 for 138 and 2 TD’s
Stefan Diggs 8 for 192 and 2 TD’s

Misc.

Chris Jones 3 sacks for 15 on the year

and

league leading Tress Way 2 punts for a 67 yard average