Guest Post by Tim Ervin – The Commish

The USFFL has RUSHED into action faster than I get the league overview posted for Week Five, LOL!  That’s totally cool.  Happy to work with a group rushing to get their games in rather than “dragging” to get their games in.  The Jaguars vs. Texans is already underway for the Week Five opener.  But let’s go ahead and setup the USFFL overview for Week Five…

HEADING INTO WEEK FIVE…

The NEW ORLEANS SAINTS lead the USFFL in Pass Offense at 319.0 yards per game.

The GREEN BAY PACKERS lead the USFFL in Rush Offense at 177.8 yards per game.

The GREEN BAY PACKERS and LAS VEGAS RAIDERS lead the USFFL in Fewest Sacks Allowed, at One!

The DETROIT LIONS lead the USFFL in Scoring Offense at 35.0 points per game.1

The DETROIT LIONS lead the USFFL in OFFENSE at 428.0 yards per game.

The DENVER BRONCOS lead the USFFL in Pass Defense at 146.0 yards allowed per game.

The ARIZONA CARDINALS lead the USFFL in Rush Defense at 76.0 yards allowed per game. 

The BUFFALO BILLS and SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS lead the USFFL in defensive sacks with 12.

The DENVER BRONCOS lead the USFFL in Scoring Defense at 12.0 points allowed per game.

The NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS lead the USFFL in DEFENSE at 260.0 yards allowed per game.

Week 4 Game of the Week

New England 26 – Green Bay 23

New England traveled to Lambeau Field to take on Green Bay in a game of the undefeated’s with both teams sitting at (3-0). If you ever needed a game to show someone as an introduction to Strat-O-Matic, this may be one you would use. Patriots got the ball first and quickly went three and out. Green Bay then took over and started the game with two long passes, on the second one Aaron Rodgers connected with Christian Watson for 32 yards. Packers soon faced a 3rd and 2 at the New England 40 when Rodgers gets a snap fumble read on a 1/1000 roll of “1”. Pats recover and respond with a 6 play, 59 yard TD drive for an early 7-0 lead. On the first play after the kickoff Rodgers and the Pack respond quickly with their 3rd long pass in 6 play calls, and this one results in a 75-yard TD strike to Watson to tie things at 7. New England boots a FG on their next possession and lead 10-7 after 1 quarter.

Packers knot it back up with a FG early in the 2nd, and then the next possessions go FG (NE), FG (GB), FG (NE). The final FG was a Folk 50 yard FG that puts the Pats up 16-13 with just 1:15 left in the half. The ensuing KO goes to Keisean Nixon at the 5 and he runs it up the middle and TAKES IT TO THE HOUSE! 95 yard KO return TD and the Packers have their first lead, 20-16 with 1:07 left. Patriots respond and get back into the red zone before half, but Folk misses a 29 yard FG (what Tim Ervin calls a “shankeroo” on the broadcast).

After a combined 36 points in the first half, the defenses would stiffen up in the second half. The only scoring in the 3rd quarter came from a Folk 39 yard FG to cut the lead to 20-19. Green Bay’s first 18 plays in the 2nd half had netted just 9 offensive yards. With 8:24 left in the game, Folk hits his 5th FG of the game, a 42 yard FG to put New England back ahead, but a penalty on the Patriots negated the play and Folk had to try again from 47 yards out. This time he missed the 47-yard FG and Green Bay took over with 7:48 to play, still up 20-19.

Green Bay moves the ball but the drive stalls at the Patriots 25. Crosby is called on and splits the uprights from 42 yards to make it 23-19 Green Bay with 5:24 to play.
Patriots now are running low on time and need a TD. Starting at their own 31 they throw 4 straight passes and get down to the Packers 43. Rhamondre Stevenson then goes around end for 14 yards and it’s 1st and 10 at the 29 with 3:00 to play. A 7 yard pass to Agholor makes it 2nd and 3 from the 22. A run by Stevenson is stuffed for -1, but a hold on the play pushes the Patriots back to the 32 and makes it 2nd and 13 instead. Patriots go off tackle to Rhamondre and Packers call pass. Double “6”s is rolled and it’s a +36 on Stevenson’s card, 32 TD run!! Patriots go up 26-23 with 1:52 left and Packers have all 3 timeouts remaining.

Packers convert a 3rd and 5. Then get a 15 yard draw by Aaron Jones. They then convert a 3rd and 2 on a 3 yard run by Jones. It gets down to 3rd and 9 from the Pats 26 with :15 left. Good field goal range for Crosby. Packers go 3-wide. Patriots, hoping for a sack, go nickel but send 6 (all 3 linebackers).  Scott makes a perfectly timed look-in pass call to Watson (he has two timeouts) and it goes 0 MIZ, and hits for 23 yards! 1st down at the Patriots 3. :08 and a timeout left. TD wins it. From here the FG should be automatic. Scott takes a shot for the win, as all of us would do. Pass to Tonyan…. Defense calls run. Incomplete on Rodgers card. :01 left. What to do? Scott sends on Crosby to send this to overtime. 20 yard FG is up and good and this one goes to….. wait…. flag on the play…. it’s….. holding against Green Bay. Next thing we know we see “GAME OVER” pop up on the screen and we are initially confused then realized that the game will end on an OFFENSIVE penalty when there is no time left on the clock. Game over. Patriots win 26-23 in a crazy finish. Belichek was seen after the game having beers with the referees.

Player of the Week

QB – Patrick Mahomes 24 completions, 294 yards, 3 TDs

Receivers – Alvin Kamara 16 receptions, 104 yards, 2 TDs

Rushing – Saquon Barkley – 132 yards, 3 TDs