Russell Wilson went down with an injury early in the first half but would return in the second. Pittsburgh expected Wilson to return and knew they had better take advantage of the huge break and they did, building a 24-3 halftime lead. As expected, Seattle was not done but three interceptions and a lost fumble made it difficult to overcome the large first half deficit. Total yardage and time of possession were nearly identical. Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger was locked in the first half and finished the game with three touchdown passes. His second half performance was mediocre and kept the game in doubt until the final minutes. A great season for Seattle who went 14-0 to start the season until dropping their last two. A huge thank you to Tim and Anthony for their dedication and time consuming efforts to make this league unique. I was not a big fan of exposing my strategies for everyone to see, but I have to admit I learned a lot about Strat Football watching my game and others, even after over 50 years of playing. That either says a lot about how dense I am at learning or the brilliance of the broadcasting concept. And thanks to all the coaches who were always friendly and conscientious about scheduling their games. I can’t remember playing in a league with such good sportmanship and no whining about dice rolls or luck. Until next season, take care everyone.

USFFL Broadcast on YouTube

USFFL fans, we have our Super Bowl Participants! Seattle defeated Los Angeles 31 – 17 and Pittsburgh came out on top over defending Super Bowl Champ Kansas City by a score of 20 – 10. Coaches Dennis Crowley (Seattle) and Peter Shibley (Pittsburgh) will now face off in USFFL Super Bowl XX1. Congrats and good luck to both coaches!

Seahawks 31 – Rams 17

The Seahawks were able to hold on and win the rubber match against a tough Los Angeles Rams team led by Scott Schumacher. There were two key plays that stood out for me. The first was with the Rams inside the Seahawks 10-yard line they accidentally selected an end run to Robert Woods. It was a key spot in the game with about 2:00 left in the half. The Seahawks recovered the fumble and were able to kick a FG as time expired in the half. That made it a 17-10 lead for Seattle. Then with the Hawks leading by a TD in the 4th quarter Russell Wilson avoided a 64% sack chance to hit Tyler Lockett for 52-yards on 3rd and long. If the Rams get the sack there it is an entirely different end game.

Steelers 20 – Chiefs 10

Both teams fought to a 3-3 halftime tie. Two touchdown runs inside the ten gave the Steelers some separation on the scoreboard. A fourth quarter Chris Boswell field goal extended the lead to 20-3 but the Chiefs were not done. In the fourth period, with a historic Super Bowl consecutive appearance streak on the line, Patrick Mahomes connected with Mecole Hardman on a 49 yard bomb and it looked like a late comeback was likely. But even though Pittsburgh could not move the ball, Mahomes’ third and fourth interceptions of the game sealed the fate of the perennial winners. Tim was hamstrung by ten penalties and the four Mahomes picks. The Steelers advance to the Super Bowl in a clash with Dennis and the Seattle Seahawks.