Oh what a night! Every few weeks a plethora of USAFL games will hang in the balance based on a single NFL game. Last night was one of those times. Four games hung in the balance as the Eagles and Cowboys showed why neither team will win a Super Bowl this season.
As we mentioned last night, World’s Finest needed a HUGE game from Ezekiel Elliot to upend D.C. Whitefish and the of course didn’t happen. Zeke’s 26 points was the best of the season so far, but wasn’t enough to save the defending champs from dropping to below .500. The win puts D.C. Whitefish at 3-0 and in command of the USAFL as the number one team in the power rankings (which will be released in the next 24 hours).
Going into the fourth quarter, Yankee Zulu needed Dallas Goedart to score two points to defeat Takada Monster Army and move to 3-0 for the first time in franchise history. It didn’t happen. For a third year in a row, Christian McCaffery has injured himself and will be placed on IR, meaning he will be out of action for at least three weeks. The loss of McCaffery was the sole reason YZ lost 89-88 to Takada and no doubt completely changes the dynamic of the season. Whereas YZ was in a strong position for a playoff push early in the season, now it’s anyone’s game in the U.S. Division as GM Dave H. lacks any depth at the RB position. Meanwhile, Takada saved themselves from an 0-3 start despite the worst lineup decisions this week as the bench outscored the starting lineup 117-89. An optimal lineup would have seen an additional 48 points to Takada’s final score.
The other slobberknocker this weekend was between the Koalas and the Strokes who went into Monday night at 107-110 in favor of the Koalas. Neither Amari Cooper for the Koalas nor Davonta Smith for the Strokes mustered much of anything for their teams as the Koalas hung on to win 115-112. The decision to start Devonta Smith was the ultimate downfall for the Strokes who would have sealed the victory if they started either Bradon Aiyuk or Bryan Edwards. The win put the Koalas to 2-1 and in sole control of second place in the Commonwealth Division. The coaching decision to start the Saints Defense was a brilliant move for the Koalas who went against the expert predictions and projections and ended up scoring 40% higher than expected.
Jalen Hurts put the entirety of the Deer Antler Addicts on his shoulders and came through in the clutch turning a 91-82 point deficit into a 91-106 victory. Typically a three-wide receiver set equals victory, but the lack of James Robinson in the starting lineup certainly hurt the Pens who could have moved to 2-1 and in a good position to keep pace with D.C. Whitefish. Deer Antler saved themselves from an 0-3 start and statistically have a stronger team than some of the USD and CWD teams meaning they could make up sound ground in the Premier Division during inter-divisional play.
Weekly Achievements
Team of the Week: Nash Kato; 142 points Thursday Night Thriller: World’s Finest; 21 points Sunday Night Stud: Nash Kato; 32 points Mr. Monday Night: World’s Finest; 26 points Dynamic Duo: D.C. Whitefish; Josh Allen & Kareem Hunt; 71 points Blue Chip Free Agent: Sanctus Koala; Saints D/ST; 20 points
Comments