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IFL War Rooms
With the draft less than 24 hours from starting, IFL DOT COM was able to get a sneak peak into the Bengals War Room.
Giants GM Jude enjoys a snack after announcing the club has reached agreement in principal with Carson Wentz to make him the first overall selection.
Packers management prepare for Saturday in our state of the art gym.
Buc Mike displaying the scientific technique he uses to determine a potential first round selection.
Mike Mayock's 2017 IFL Mock Draft
Former professional football player and now draft analysis Mike Mayock will provide his expert opinion on the 2017 IFL draft. Mayock agreed to be our guest on IFL dot com as long as no orangutans were used as a prop to announce IFL draft selections.
1. Giants (from Baltimore) - Last year the Giants traded Drew Brees for Colin Kaepernick and a package of draft picks. To New York's credit they realized Kaepernick was not a long term answer at the quarterback position. This resulted in the Giants trading up to the top spot. Just like last year when the Bears had to decide between Mariota and Winston, I see Big Blue choosing between Dak Prescott and Carson Wentz. I lean toward Prescott because of the better performance and situation in the NFL last year. 2. Redskins (from Houston) - This is like deja vu as Washington traded up prior to the 2015 IFL draft to select Teddy Bridgewater with the number one overall pick. Unfortunately, Bridgewater suffered a horrific injury and will miss all of the 2017 IFL season requiring the Redskins to go quarterback hunting again. It's really a credit to the Washington scouting department that they can once again accumulate the depth to be able to trade up into a position to select another promising young quarterback. More than likely, it will be Wentz. 3. Ravens (from Giants) - Baltimore dropped back a couple spots to pick up the second overall pick in round two. I believe there are two players who justify selection at this spot. One of the players, Baltimore already has one of the best in the IFL in Le'Veon Bell. The other will give the Ravens one of the best defensive fronts in the IFL for year's to come. Joey Bosa to Baltimore. 4. Vikings - Minnesota is a team with a lot of needs. They do have Drew Brees, an aging Jason Witten, and a beat-up Chris Ivory. I think the Vikings would be best served to trade down and accumulate additional picks. The Jets could certainly provide the bounty to trade up to this position but they are in a rebuilding phase of their own. Green Bay might be able to tempt them with 9 and 26. Detroit could possibly be a willing partner with the 8, 37, and possibly Terrance West but probably not enough. So, Ezekiel Elliott to Minnesota. 5. 49ers - San Francisco could use an anchor on their offensive line. Donald Stephenson is a journeyman and thus far Donovan Smith has been a disappointment. Jack Conklin would provide quite the upgrade. 6. Jets (from Dallas) - Gang Green could go in so many directions, its dizzying! Jared Goff has to be in consideration although I would have kept Dalton and taken either Michael Thomas or Deforest Buckner. Goff goes to New York. 7. Dolphins - Miami is another team that might be interested in moving up to the number four positions. Otherwise they have an opportunity to upgrade a defensive line that needs help. Buckner to the Fish. 8. Lions - The bad news is Detroit does not have an opportunity to upgrade their quarterback position. The good news is that the best wide receiver in the draft drops to them in Michael Thomas. Teamed up with Alan Robinson suddenly the Lions have one of the best receiving tandems in the league. Its a shame they won't have anyone to get them the football. 9. Packers (from Philadelphia) - Insiders think the Packers traded up to nine to have a shot at Goff. I think that is a pipe dream as Detroit would have taken him if the Jets didn't. Logic seems to dictate that Green Bay will take Jalen Ramsey or Ronnie Stanley with this selection. However, I could see Tyreek Hill as a sleeper pick at this spot. The Packers need to stop ignoring the O-line early in the draft and solidify that position. Ronnie Stanley to Green Bay. 10. Bengals - There was a time Cincinnati had the best cornerback duo in the IFL with Revis and Joseph. However, time waits for no one. While offensive tackle is a concern, look for the Bengals to select Jalen Ramsey here. 11. Eagles (from Green Bay via Jacksonville) - The Eagles are desperate for help on the defensive line. However, I don't think anyone available justifies selection at this spot. Philly does have a promising young quarterback and it never hurts to give him another weapon. I like wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin at 11. 12. Bills - Its time for Laremy Tunsil's slide to stop. This is a huge upgrade for Buffalo in an area they need the help. 13. Giants (from Pittsburgh) - I would have given Taylor Decker a lot of consideration here before his injury. Keanu Neal is tempting but I could see the Giants reaching just a tad and taking the best Tight End in the draft in Hunter Henry. 14. Cowboys (from the Jets via Kanas City) - Dallas could use an upgrade at offensive tackle and Taylor Decker fits that description even with his injury. 15. Jets (from Indianapolis) - The Jets need to think about best player available at this point. Safety Keanu Neal tops my list of available players and fills a need as well. 16. Rams - This is a historic pick as it will be the IFL's first selection from a franchise located in Los Angeles. Neal would have been a good fit for the Rams but Cody Whitehair allows Los Angeles to move Spencer Long to guard and upgrade the offensive line. 17. Panthers - Carolina needs safety help. But I think they hope to boast that position in a later round. Tyreek Hill adds an interesting weapon to the Panther offense. 18. Buccaneers - One of the most improved teams in the IFL last year, James Bradberry would boast the secondary allowing Mathieu to play safety. 19. Raiders - Oakland could use help at running back. Carlos Hyde's durability is a concern. Jordan Howard has to be a consideration but I like Derrick Henry's upside. 20. Jets - I think the Jets were considering inside linebacker Deion Jones at 15 and have to be delighted he is available at 20. 21. Cardinals - Arizona has to give thought to the defensive backfield but Will Fuller has potential as a game breaker. Marshall is getting old and Decker is broken down. 22. Saints - Saint management likes instant gratification and there is no more of an immediate contributor than veteran pass rusher Lorenzo Alexander. 23. Broncos - Denver has to be shocked promising and productive Jordan Howard is available to boast the rushing attack. 24. Chargers - Another IFL team that made a big jump last season. In my opinion Coach Banko should have received more consideration for IFL Coach of the Year. The secondary needs help but so does linebacker. Leonard Floyd is a good fit for San Diego. 25. Bears - Chicago finally turned the corner last year and had a big opening round playoff win over Arizona. The Bears will take either Kelley the running back or Kelly the center. Rob Kelley, the running back fills a more immediate need. 26. Packers - Tyrell Williams gives Green Bay's array of quarterbacks another option at wide receiver. 27. Titans - IFL teams usually only have an open window to vie for a championship for a few seasons. Orlando Scandrick solidifies Tennessee's secondary. 28. Texans (from Washington) - Houston was able to fill a lot of holes by trading down with Washington. Center Ryan Kelly would upgrade the offensive line for seasons to come. 29. Falcons - The defending NFC Champions could use safety help. I list Vonn Bell as the best available. 30. Colts (from Jets via New England) - Indy has a glaring need at corner and Artie Burns is still available. Teams without a first round pick: 60. Patriots - The Super Bowl champs could use some long term safety depth. I think there is a chance Karl Joseph could be here. 71. Steelers - Offensive tackle is a glaring need and Joe Haeg isn't a bad second tier prospect. 72. Chiefs - Kansas City needs another corner and because of his injury Tavon Young "might" fall to this pick. Otherwise Brian Poole could be there. 104. Jaguars - It gets a little tougher projecting this far out and Jacksonville won't get much help for 2017. Defensive End Jihad Ward might be worth a flier here. 2017 IFL DRAFT
2016 IFL SUPER BOWL
 Sam Bradford rallied the Patriots with two, late fourth quarter scoring drives.
The 2017 IFL Super Bowl was comprised of arguably the two best teams in the league, as the Atlanta Falcons, winners of 17 of 18 games, squared off against the New England Patriots, who came into the game winners of all but 2 of their 18 games in 2016-2017. For three quarters, the two teams battled tooth and nail in what was an extremely intense struggle. If the game consisted of only 3 quarters (although then they would be “periods”), it would have been a terrific game all by itself. But it was what happened after the third quarter ended which sealed the deal and made this one of the most memorable championship games in IFL history.
New England won the opening toss, but elected to kick off to the elite offensive unit of Atlanta, led by Philip Rivers, Lamar Miller and Larry Fitzgerald. Rivers wasted no time hooking up with his leading receiver, finding Larry for completions of 8 and 13 yards within the first minute of the game. A 14 yard completion to Nate Washington carried the Falcons into Patriot territory, but the drive bogged down from there, and Atlanta was forced to punt. Sam Bradford started this game as he had many others, finding his favorite receiver Antonio Brown for 14 yards, followed immediately by a 17 yard completion to Sammy Watkins. In two plays, New England was in Atlanta territory. A 7 yard carry by James Starks followed by a 7 yard pass from Bradford to Latavius Murray on 3rd and 3 gave New England 1st and 10 from the Falcons 35. After a misfire from Bradford to Marcel Reece, Atlanta doubled both Brown and Watkins on 2nd and 10, but it was Murray who went off tackle for a 23 yard gain, down to the Falcon 12 yard line. On the next play, Bradford found Brown on a short crossing pattern to give the Patriots a 7-0 lead with 6 minutes to play in quarter number one. Quan Bray took back the ensuing kickoff 38 yards, out to the 35 yard line. From there, Rivers went to work, completing 4 of 4 passes on the drive, three of which went to Larry Fitzgerald. The last of the three, a spectacular 26 yard catch and run by Fitz, in spite of a double team, to make it 7-6. The PAT attempt by Catanzaro was blocked by Geno Atkins however, and the game remained at 7-6 Patriots with 2 minutes to play in the opening quarter. The Pats second drive began just as their first one did, with an 11 yard completion to Antonio Brown. A Murray 9 yard run was followed by a 15 yard reception by Murray, and New England was once again quickly in Atlanta territory. An incompletion to Watkins was followed by a 5 yard run by Starks, bringing an end to an exciting and quick moving first quarter. The second quarter began with Starks runs of 4 and 3 yards, followed by a 12 yard screen pass to Starks. Patriots were now first and 10 from the Falcon 21 yard line. A 17 yard catch by Brown brought New England to the 4 yard line of Atlanta. Murray was stuffed on first down, but on the next play, Bradford found Brown on a corner fade pattern in the back of the end zone to give New England a touchdown on their first two drives of the game. Patriots had a 14-6 lead. Lamar Miller sparked the Falcons next drive with runs of 8 and 13 yards on the first two plays. Receptions by Ertz and Cecil Shorts carried Atlanta out near midfield, as the clock dropped under the 9 minute mark of the 2nd quarter. Atlanta looked to get Lamar Miller going on three consecutive carries, but the Patriots defensive front seven were up to the task and shut Miller, and the drive down. Falcons punted, which resulted in a touchback. Pats went 3 and out on their next drive, giving Rivers another shot at closing the gap with just over 5 minutes in the first half. A solid punt return got Atlanta started at their own 44 yard line. As he did earlier in the game Rivers then caught fire and complete four consecutive passes, two each to Fitzgerald and Washington, for a total of 47 yards. On first and goal from the four, Lamar Miller carried it across the goal line, making the game 14-13 with 2:17 to play in the first half. The Patriots decided to play it conservative and killed the remainder of the clock without incident, knowing that they’d have the ball coming out of the halftime festivities. The two teams exchanged punts to start the second half. On New England’s 2nd drive, successive penalties pushed New England into a second and 17 hole. Bradford followed with successive incompletions, and Atlanta would take over six minutes in to quarter number three. Atlanta decided to see if their notoriously physical offensive line could start to impose their will on the Patriot front four……….and boy did they ever. The next drive consisted of 10 plays spanning 6:30, 9 of which were runs. The Falcons were facing a first and goal from the Patriot 5 yard line, but were ultimately forced to settle for a field goal. Still, Atlanta had their first lead of the game, 16-14, with 2:28 to play in quarter number three. Sam Bradford and company went back to work, methodically driving out to their own 43 yard line as the 3rd quarter expired. Then, on first and 10 on the very first play of the fourth quarter, Bradford hit Brown for 11 yards, but then, DISASTER!! Brown couldn’t hold onto the ball as he was tackled, and Von Miller scooped the ball up and raced 55 yards for the touchdown, giving Atlanta a two score lead at 23-14!! New England was in trouble, though there was still a quarter left to play. New England couldn’t do much on their next drive however, and again Atlanta’s Kaelin Clay registered a fine punt return, giving Atlanta the ball at their own 49 with 13:05 to play. Rivers hit Lamar Miller on consecutive short pass plays for gains of 7 and 5 yards. An 8 yard Dion Lewis reception on 3rd and 9 forced another Catanzaro field goal attempt. This time Chandler converted on a 46 yard field goal, and it was 26-14 with 10 minutes remaining. Facing a near must score situation, Bradford started the next drive out by finding Murray out in the flat for a 6 yard gain. A 10 yard sweep left by James Starks made it 1st and 10 from the New England 36. With Atlanta expecting pass, Bradford misfired on successive attempts to Brown and Watkins, forcing a 3rd and 10 for New England. With Watkins and Brown doubled, Bradford looked for Dorial Green-Beckham and connected on a HUGE 17 yard play to give the Pats a fresh set of downs. The Pats had Atlanta caught with their nickel personnel on the field after that last play, and then with Atlanta still expecting pass, a James Starks draw play resulted in another big 17 yard gain down to the Atlanta 30 yard line. Starks was stuffed on the next play for a 3 yard loss however, and a Bradford to Brown attempt was not successful on the next play, leaving New England with a 3rd and 13. With Watkins and Brown doubled once again, Bradford found tight end Coby Fleener for the first time all day on a critical 15 yard catch to once again convert on the third and long, down to the Falcon 18 yard line. Another draw to Starks resulted in an 18 yard touchdown, and with just over 6 minutes left, it was now 26-21 Falcons. Looking for the onside kick, Atlanta’s Bray wasn’t able to muster much of a return this time, and Atlanta would take over at their 13 yard line. Three consecutive pass attempts by Rivers would result in only one Ertz catch for six yards. New England would get the ball once again, with 5:18 to play. With Atlanta looking pass, Latavius Murray carried for 22 yards on a sweep right, across midfield. Murray would get stuffed on the next play, making it 2nd and 10 with 4:34 to play. Then, a HUGE 15 yard personal foul on OT Greg Robinson (in the game for the ailing Zach Streif) pushed New England back to their own 46 yard line, while forcing the Pats into a 2nd and 25 dilemma. A long crossing pattern was nearly picked off as Brown was once again double-teamed. On 3rd and 25, Bradford hit Starks on a screen pass, good for 12 yards to the Atlanta 42. Facing 4th and 13 but with all three time outs, and with 3:17 to play, New England prepared to punt. A false start on Rogers-Cromartie made it 4th and 8. New England, from the Falcon 35, decided to pull their punt team off the field in an attempt to convert the 4th down attempt. Bradford did just that, hitting Brown (double-covered again) for the 12 yard completion and another key first down to the Atlanta 25 yard line. With the clock ticking under 2:30 in the 4th quarter, Bradford went for it all on first down, and connected with the streaking Brown for a 25 yard TD pass. New England had scored two touchdowns in less than 4:30 of game clock, and now had a 27-26 lead. The Patriots went for the 2 point conversion, and Latavius Murray blasted his way thru the Falcon defensive line for the conversion. 29-26 New England with 2:17 to play!! Atlanta’s Bray couldn’t muster much of a return this time, and Atlanta had to start at their 7 yard line thanks to a penalty on the return. A false start pushed the Falcons back to their own 4 yard line, but then Rivers found Dion Lewis for 16 yards, giving the Falcons another set of downs and some breathing room, as they looked for a shot at a game tying field goal. Rivers next found Nate Washington for 13 yards, out to the 32 with 1:39 to play. A short pass to Lewis for 3 yards was followed by consecutive incompletions, forcing Atlanta into a 4th and 7 with 1:05 to play. As he had many times all season however, Philip Rivers was up to the task and found Zach Ertz for a 7 yard pass play, JUST enough for the Falcon first down. In hurry-up mode, Rivers found Lewis for 4 yards, but the clock was the enemy as the Falcons were nearing midfield. Rivers then failed to connect with Ertz, forcing a big 3rd and 6 from their own 46, with 38 seconds remaining. Rivers found Larry Fitzgerald for a huge 10 yard completion, but Fitz remained in bounds and Atlanta had to use their final time out with 30 seconds to play. First down Atlanta from the Patriots 44 yard line. Meanwhile, on the Falcon sidelines, Chandler Catanzaro was calmly loosening up for the potential game tying field goal. Rivers looked for Dion Lewis on each of the next two plays, hoping to get further into Patriot territory, but each attempt was thwarted by the Pats defense. On 3rd and 10, Rivers hit Nate Washington for a 7 yard completion before being knocked out of bounds with 8 seconds to play. With no time outs remaining, Atlanta was facing a 4th and 3 from the New England 37 yard line. On came Catanzaro to attempt the game-tying 54 yard field goal and a shot at overtime……………… BAD SNAP!!!! Donnie Jones couldn’t handle Falcon long snapper Kyle Nelson’s snap, and Catanzaro wasn’t even able to get the kick off as time expired. New England had escaped……………29-26!! As he had all season long, Patriot quarterback Sam Bradford took care of the football – completing 23 of 37 pass attempts for 268 yards and 3 touchdowns – all to Antonio Brown. More importantly, Bradford didn’t turn the ball over. As such, Sam was named the MVP of the Super Bowl. Antonio Brown’s heroics (10 receptions on 18 targets, 125 yards and 3 touchdown receptions) were only almost overshadowed by his fumble in the 4th quarter which NEARLY cost his team the championship. New England’s offensive line was solid all day as well, helping the Patriots run the ball extremely well against a Falcon defense that had been DEATH against the run all season. Latavius Murray ran 12 times for 75 yards, while James Starks carried the ball 10 times for 69 yards, for a surprising overall average of 6.5 YPC. On the other side of the field, Atlanta’s Phil Rivers was effective and efficient as well, completing 27 of 40 pass attempts for 255 yards and a TD. Like Bradford, Rivers did not turn the ball over either. Larry Fitzgerald caught 8 passes for 109 yards and a score, while Lamar Miller carried the ball 14 times for 75 yards and a TD. In addition to supporting solid run games for their respective teams, both offensive lines were exemplary in keeping their quarterbacks upright. With the likes of Elvis Dumervil, Von Miller, Geno Atkins and Thomas Davis on the field, neither Atlanta OR New England could register a single quarterback sack on the day. Just a very well-played game by both offensive lines. Time of possession was nearly equal, and Brown’s fumble was the only turnover on the game. A key stat was New England’s execution in the red zone, where they converted all three trips into touchdowns, while Atlanta scored one TD on two red zone trips themselves. All in all, Atlanta seemed well positioned to win this one, with a 12-point lead and 10 minutes remaining. New England’s offense was somehow able to kick it into high gear at just the right time, sneaking away with the win, and the 2017 IFL Championship. Congrats to Mary on a fine game and an excellent season. This was a game neither team deserved to lose………the breaks just seemed to fall New England’s way in the final minutes of the game. IFL CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP
Tennessee 13 at New England 21
 Latavius Murry's two touchdown runs helps punch New England's ticket to the Super Bowl.
For the second consecutive year, Tennessee makes its way to Foxboro for a post-season match-up against New England. This time, a trip to the Super Bowl was on the line.
Titans win the coin toss and defer. New England goes three and out on their initial drive. Titans take over and convert a first down, before punting. On their 2nd drive, Patriots put together a 15-play drive covering 88 yards and spanning over 7 minutes. On 3rd and 4 from the Tennessee 26, Latavius Murray ripped off a 21-yard run to the Titan 5 yard line. On the next play Murray went off tackle right for the TD, and New England had a 7-0 lead at the 3:23 mark of Q1. Matt Ryan responded on the ensuing drive. After Patriot CB Logan Ryan helped Tennessee's cause with two (one offsides, one illegal contact) penalties, Ryan hooked up with Beckham and Delanie Walker on consecutive plays to bring the ball to the NE 32. The game moved to the 2nd quarter and Tennessee's offense bogged down, forcing a 41 yard Dan Bailey field goal. 7-3 New England. Thanks to a penalty on the return, the Patriots started their next drive deep in their own territory. Unable to muster a single first down, the Pats were forced to punt into the wind......giving the Titans the ball at the NE 39 yard line. Short completions to Walker and Doug Martin left Tennessee facing 4th and 1 from the Patriot 30. Even with a slight breeze at their back, Coach Brunskill looked to convert with Doug Martin. The Patriot defense was waiting for him however, and stuffed him for a loss and a turnover on downs. Two false start penalties by the Patriot offensive line put the home team in a bind, but on 2nd and 17, James Starks tore off an 11 yard run. With Brown and Watkins doubled on 3rd and 6, Sam Bradford found Coby Fleener for 9 yards, giving NE a first down at their own 44. Starks' carries for 6 yards, and then 4 and 9 yards, helped bring NE to the 27 yard line. On 4th and 2, Coach Kolb decided to follow Coach Brunkskill's lead and eschew the field goal. As was the case on the Titan attempt, Latavius Murray was also stuffed, and the Titans would take over with 4:30 to play in the 2nd quarter. Still 7-3 NE. Matt Ryan methodically moved his team down the field in an 11 play drive, with 5 completions along the way. DeAndre Hopkins had two catches on the drive, one for 11 and the second for 20, which gave Tennessee first and 10 from the Patriot 17 yard line. After a Doug Martin 7 yard carry, New England called a time out as their defense was completely gassed. An incomplete pass to Walker made it 3rd and 3. Ryan dropped back to pass and looked for Beckham on a short slant, but Logan Ryan jumped the route and INTERCEPTED the pass. The game would go to halftime with NE up 7-3. Tennessee would take the kickoff and a 35 yard Weems return gave the Titans nice field position. However, on the first play from scrimmage, Ryan mishandled the snap and LB Jamie Collins recovered. Another false start by NE forced them into a 3rd and 11, but Bradford converted the first down by hitting Sammy Watkins for 17 yards. On the next play, Bradford hit a doubled Antonio Brown for 18 yards down to the Titan 1 yard line. Latavius Murray appeared to cross the goal line and NE challenged, but the replay indicated he was stopped short, making it 2nd and inches. Murray was given 2 consecutive attempts on 2nd and 3rd down, and on both, appeared to break the plane of the goal line. On both plays however, the replay official indicated he had been stopped short, forcing a critical 4th down. Rather than taking the 3 points, NE went for it. This time, Same Bradford DID break the plan on a QB sneak, and NE was up 14-3 at the 11:21 mark. The Titans briskly moved the ball back into NE territory, thanks to completions to Hopkins and Beckham and a 13 yard dash by Martin. On 2nd and 1 from the NE 30, Patriot DT Brandon Williams sacked Ryan, forcing the ball loose....................but the Titans recovered and were ultimately forced to settle for a 50-yard Dan Bailey FG to cut the Pats lead to 14-6. New England was forced to punt, and Tennessee took over with just under 3 minutes in Q3 at their own 40 after another nice Weems return (26 yards per KR and 14 yards per PR on the day). Completions to Hopkins and Rudolph brought the Titans to the Patriot 43, but an incomplete pass on 3rd down forced another tough decision - punt and bury the Patriots deep in their territory or try and keep the drive moving. The Titans went for it, but New England's defense prevailed, forcing an incomplete pass attempt from Ryan to Walker. Still 14-6 as the third quarter ended. The momentum seemed to have turned with the prior turnover on downs, as New England responded with a 7-play drive which culminated with an 18-yard TD run by Latavius Murray, and the Patriots were up 21-6. Things were looking bleak for the visitors, though it was still only a 2 score game. After an exchange of punts, Tennessee took over with under 8 minutes to play in a do-or-die situation. Matt Ryan engineered a 20-play, 87 yard drive which was capped by a 14 yard TD pass to Hopkins. But had they taken too much time?? 21-13 Patriots, with 2:38 to play. With all 3 timeouts, the Titans kicked the ball deep, hoping for one final shot with the ball. After stuffing Murray on first down, New England tempted fate and elected to pass against a defense looking for the run. Bradford found Watkins for 11 yards and a key first down. Consecutive runs by Murray forced Tennessee to burn their final time outs before the two minute warning. Then, on 3rd and 2, Bradford connected with Antonio Brown for 17 yards and that would be the ballgame. New England 21 Tennessee 13. New England overcame 9 penalties on the day, but without question the key to the victory for New England were the two turnovers by Tennessee - one immediately before halftime as the Titans were knocking at the door for the lead touchdown before halftime - and the 2nd immediately after the halftime break which set up the Patriots 2nd TD on the day. Latavius Murray ran for 110 yards on 27 carries with 2 TDs on the day. Sam Bradford, against a superior pass defense, completed 19 of 28 attempts for 185 yards, with no TDs or INTs. Doug Martin carried the ball just 11 times for Tennessee, for 59 yards. Matt Ryan completed 30 passes on 55 attempts. Somehow, the Patriots defense held both Odell Beckham and DeAndre Hopkins under 70 yards receiving on the day. Congrats to Rick for putting together a truly scary team which was definitely Super Bowl-worthy. On this day, the Patriots were fortunate in that they simply made fewer critical mistakes than did the Titans. 
Washington 10 at Atlanta 23
 Lamar Miller's 5 yard TD score at the end of the third quarter propels Falcons to the Super Bowl.
Game MVP Philip Rivers led the Falcons to a 23-10 victory over the Redskins to advance to the Super Bowl against New England. Quan Bray set up the Falcons with good field position with a 37 yard return of the opening kickoff. From there, Rivers took over. He hit Fitzgerald twice for 23 yards, Spiller and Ertz for 23 yards to take the Falcons down to the 10 yard line where Rivers hit Washington for the 10 yard TD pass. Falcons 7-0 (10:14 first quarter) Redskins and Falcons trade punts. On the Falcon's punt, Bolden set up the Redskins with good field position with a 19 yard return to the Redskins 39 yard line. After a 12 yard pass to Ebron, Bridgewater connected with Martavis Bryant for long pass over the middle for 25 yards. After hitting Garcon for a 13 yard pass down the seam, the Redskins were set up with a 1st and goal at the 9 yard line. On first down, Bridgewater can't hook up with Martavis Bryant. On 2nd, the Falcons D comes up big. The defensive line is shifted to the right and catches Bryant on an end around from the left side and stuff him for a huge 9 yard loss. That set up a 3rd and goal at the 18. With the Falcons calling pass, the Redskins try the draw with Jennings but it's only good for 5 yards to force the FG attempt. Janikowski hits the 31 yarder. Atlanta 7-3 (1:51 first quarter). Next drive resulted in a Falcons FG after another big kick return for 39 yards from Quan Bray. Miller had an 11 yard run and 11 yard pass included in the drive which eventually stalled at the Redskins 29 yard line. Catanzaro hits the 47 yarder. Atlanta 10-3 (13:30 second quarter). Washington goes 3 and out. On the Falcons ensuing drive, Lamar Miller rushed 5 times for 26 yards but the drive stalled at the Redskins 18 yard line to set up another Catanzaro FG. Atlanta 13-3 (6:42 second quarter). Washington goes into the 4 minute drill but the drive stalls at the their 46 yard line after a sack by Cameron Heyward on 3rd and 10. Atlanta takes over at their own 11 yard line with 2:09 left and all their timeouts. Rivers hit Dion Lewis, Nate Washington, Zach Ertz and Larry Fitzgerald for 47 yards but also mixed in 3 rushes for 31 yards to set up a 29 yard FG with no time left in the first half. Falcons 16-3 (0:00 second quarter) Washington has their best and most productive drive to start the second half. Cadet gets a 41 yard kick return to set up the Redskins at their 35 yard line. Rashad Jennings rushed 5 times for 28 yards and Bridgewater mixed in 4 passed for 34 yards including a 4 yard TD pass to Eric Ebron. Falcons 16-10 (8:01 third quarter). Falcons replied back with a clock killing drive which was capped off by a Lamar Miller 5 yard TD run. Miller also had 5 rushes on the drive for 22 yards. After a delay of game on the offense, Rivers found Nate Washington running open downfield for a 30 yard gain. The Miller TD was the final scoring in the game, making it 23-10 Falcons. (0:23 thirs quarter). Washington didn't seriously threaten in the 4th as they had only one first down and turned the ball over on downs twice and on an interception of a screen by DL Ian Williams. With the 23-10 win, the Falcons face the Patriots in the Super Bowl. It will be the Falcons third trip, losing the first time to Jacksonville and then more recently to Denver. Good game and good season by Kris and his Redskins. IFL DIVISIONAL PLAYOFF ROUND
Denver 14 at New England 36
 Bradford was all smiles after throwing 4 TD passes and leading the Patriots to the IFL Conference Championship game.
On an unseasonably warm but rainy evening, the Denver Broncos made the trip to Foxboro as a 9 point underdog. They would look for another solid performance from RB Jamaal Charles, who ran for 119 yards in last week's road win at the Jets.
Denver won the toss and elected to receive. Charles started things out well with a 6 yard scamper, but Jamie Collins sacked Matt Stafford on 3rd down to kill the opening drive. New England started slowly as well, with 3 Latavius Murray runs failing to convert a 1st down on their initial drive. After a 3 and out by the Broncos on their 2nd drive, Sam Bradford took a chance and heaved it downfield, and he found Antonio Brown for a 40 yard completion. After a couple nice gains by James Starks, Bradford hooked up with Sammy Watkins for a 19 yard score. Julius Peppers blocked the extra point attempt, and it was 6-0 Patriots. Matt Stafford looked to bring Denver back, as he connected with Rishard Matthews on an 18 yard completion to get the visitors out near midfield. Stafford went back to the well two plays later, but his attempt to connect with Matthews was this time picked by Sean Smith, who took it all the way back to the Denver 18 yard line. Denver's defense stiffened however, and the Pats had to settle for a Sturgis field goal. 9-0 New England with four minutes to play in Q1. Things went from bad to worse on the next series for Denver. On 3rd and 6, a pitch to Charles was foiled when William Gholston ripped the ball from Jamaal's hands, giving New England the ball once again, this time at the Bronco 27 yard line. Bradford wasted no time, immediately hooking up with Sammy Watkins for a 27 yard TD pass to make it 16-0 Patriots. On their next series, Stafford was sacked on back to back plays by Atkins and Gholston, and Denver had to punt once again. New England tacked on another three points and it was 19-0 with 12:49 left in the 2nd quarter. Facing a 4th and 2 on their next drive from their own 28 yard line, Denver rolled the dice with a fake punt, but it was sniffed out by the Patriot special teams, giving the Pats another chance deep in enemy territory. A 12 yard TD pass to Antonio Brown made it 26-0, which is how the first half ended. Another Bradford to Brown TD midway through the 3rd quarter made it 33-0 Patriots, who would ride that lead to a 36-14 win. Sam Bradford finished with 293 yards passing and 4 touchdowns. Antonio Brown had 9 receptions for 153 yards and 2 scores. For Denver, Matt Stafford struggled early on, missing on 11 of his first 15 pass attempts. He'd finish with 172 yards passing and 2 TDs, but he also tossed 2 interceptions as well. Jamaal Charles found the sledding a bit tougher in New England, though he did manage 107 yards from scrimmage (including 40 yards receiving) Congrats to Doug on making it to the Divisional Round - no easy task in the IFL! Tennessee 34 at San Diego 17
 Titan receiver Hopkins broke open a close game with a 76 yard score in the third quarter.
The AFC Central champion Tennessee Titans traveled to San Diego to take on the AFC West champion Chargers. The Titans edged AFC West foe Oakland 20-17 to advance from the wildcard round. San Diego earned a first round bye with the second best record in the conference at 11-5.
The teams exchanged punts on their first drives before Charger quarterback Tyrod Taylor connected with Malcolm Floyd on a 37 yard score to give San Diego a 7-0 first quarter lead. The game stayed at 7-0 San Diego until the Tennesse offense finally got something going early in the second quarter. Starting with good field position at their own 47, Titan quarterback Matt Ryan connected with Beckham and Hopkins for short gains that moved the chains. Runningback Doug Martin was able to burst through the line for a 14 yard gain to set up a first and ten at the San Diego 17. After an incompletion, Ryan hit Tight End Rudolph for a 15 yard gain and Martin took it in from two yards out to knott the game at seven with 11 minutes remaining in the half. The Titans took their first lead as IFL Defensive Player of the Year Josh Norman intercepted Taylor and Bailey connected on a 20 yard field goal for a 10-7 lead and still over eight and a half minutes left in the quarter. The Chargers offense was forced to punt on their next series. The Titans put together a ten play 74 yard drive capped off by a Ryan to Hopkins six yard pass just after the two minute warning to give Tennessee a 17-7 lead at the half. After forcing Tennesse to punt on the opening drive of the half, San Diego put together a 14 play 91 yard drive that was capped off by a Taylor to Tavon Austin 17 yard touchdown strike to cut the Titan lead to 17-14. Tennessee would answer with a 13 play 93 yard drive as Ryan would sneak in for the score from the one and increase the lead back to ten at 24-14 with less than a minute remaining in the thrid quarter. San Diego cut the lead to a touchdown thanks to a Santos 35 yard field goal with still over eight minutes remaining in the game. However, on the Titans next series DeAndre Hopkins broke loose on a quick pass and went 76 yards to increase their advantage to 31-17 with seven minutes remaining. The Chargers were forced to gamble on fourth and two, deep in their own territory on their next drive but could not convert. This allowed Titan kicker Bailey to convert a 30 yard field goal and seal the 34-17 win as the Titans advance to the AFC Championship for the first time in franchise history. Taylor finished 23 of 34 for 267 yards with two TDs and an INT for San Diego. Julio Jones caught nine passes for 100 yards but was kept out of the end zone. For the Titans, Ryan completed 26 of 32 for 292 yards and two TDs. Martin rushed for 77 yards on 19 attempts with a TD. Hopkins caught seven passes for 126 yards and the two TDs. 
Chicago 17 at Atlanta 24
 Lamar Miller's fourth quarter four yard touchdown run gave the Falcons the 24-17 win
Falcons get off to the "dream" start as they force a 3 and out on the Bears first offensive possession. After a Von Miller sack back to the 8 yard line, the Falcons take over on the Bears side of the field at the 41. On the Falcon's first play, Rivers finds Washington wide open over the middle and hits him in stride with the pass. Washington breaks away for the 41 yard TD to give the Falcons an early 7-0 lead.
The teams trade punts as the Bears' drive is stopped by an offensive penalty and the Falcons go 3 and out. On the Bears next drive, Mariota and the offense go to work. Drive gets off to a shaky start as Demaryius Thomas gets called for offensive holding on the first play but Mariota hits Marvin Jones and DeAngelo Williams for 14 yards before hitting Demaryius Thomas for a 14 yard pass on 3rd and 6 for the first down. After that Mariota hit Demaryius Thomas again for 27 yards down to the Falcons 16 yard line. The Falcons doubled Thomas and Jamison Crowder but Mariota find DeAngelo Williams on a dump off and he broke free for the TD to tie the game at 7-7. The Falcons next drive started out well enough with a 13 yard pass completion to Larry Fitzgerald before the Bears defense stepped up in a big way. Chandler Jones sacked Philip Rivers on 1st and 10 from the Bears 48 and intercepted Rivers on the next play to set up the Bears with good field position on the Falcons 48 yard line. Mariota then hit Marvin Jones twice for 28 yards to set up a DeAngelo Williams 4 yard rush for a TD to give the Bears a 14-7 lead with 10:47 remaining in the second quarter. Atlanta and Chicago then trade punts again. Lamar Miller had a 23 yard run for the Falcons but they couldn't follow it up before they had to punt. Bears start with bad field position as the Donnie Jones and the Falcons punt coverage pin them at the 3 yard line. On 3rd and 4, James Carpenter recovered a fumbled snap leading to a Bears punt. The Falcons next drive was rolling as Rivers hit Lamar Miller for 7 yards and then Nate Washington and Larry Fitzgerald each for 9 yards to set up a 2nd and 1 at the Bears 39 yard line. One the next play, Rivers looks for Fitzgerald deep but the Bears double cover him and Cam Chancellor picks off the pass setting up the Bears at their own 17 yard line after replay upheld the interception. On the first play after the interception, Mariota fumbled the snap again but recovered it. On the next play he hit Marvin Jones over the middle. He turned on the jets and broke it for a 51 yard gain before Charles Woodson stopped him with a shoe string tackle at the Falcons 16 yard line. On the next play, Mariota gets the snap but can't find anyone open and gets sacked by Cameron Heyward for an 11 yard loss back to the 44 yard line. Mariota hit Jamison Crowder for 9 yards but then the drive stalls at the 35 yard line. Bears go for the long, 53 yard attempt and Nick Novak nails it to extend the Bears lead to 17-7 with 1:53 remaining in the first half. On the Falcons next drive, Rivers hits Nate Washington 4 times for 57 yards down to the 10 yard line. Rivers tried to spike the ball to set up the last second FG attempt but time runs out and the Bears go into halftime with a 17-7 lead. After trading punts, the Falcons were able to move the ball on their next drive but would eventually stall at the Bears' 18 yard line. Catanzaro hit the 36 yard FG to close the gap to 17-10 for the Bears. Falcons force the Bears to punt on their next drive and then Philip Rivers goes to work. After an 8 yard run by Lamar Miller, Rivers hits Ertz, Fitzgerald and then Washington on a 37 yard pass down to the Bears 4 yard line. The Bears look for Miller run but Rivers fakes it to him and finds Larry Fitzgerald wide open in the end zone for the 4 yard TD pass and catch to tie up the game at 17-17 with 1:46 remaining in the 3rd quarter. The Falcons D stops the Bears on their next drive, forcing a 3 and out. The Falcons took over on their 27 yard line after a 3 yard punt return from Kaelin Clay. On the first play, Rivers Zach Ertz on the button hook, he shakes a tackle and breaks it for 37 yards to the Bears 36 yard line. A great start but then Richie Incognito takes a holding penalty to set up back the drive. So, now it was a 1st and 20 at the Bears 46. Dion Lewis gains 9 yards then Star Lotulelei jumps across the line for a 5 yard penalty to set up a 2nd and 6 at the Bears 32 yard line. Rivers hits Washington for 10 yards for the 1st down and the drive continues down to the 22 yard line. Rivers then completes a short 8 yard pass to Spiller to the 14 and the rest was Lamar Miller. He rushed for 10 yards down to the 4 and broke it across the goal line for the TD on the next play to give the Falcons a 24-17 lead. From then on, it was Mariota passing into the teeth of the Falcons pass D as they attempted to hold the lead. After two unsuccessful drives, the Bears took over on the Falcons' 25 yard line. With 3 big plays, a yard yard pass to Demaryius Thomas, a 40 yard pass to Deangelo Williams and a 16 yard pass to Riley Cooper, Marcus Mariota set up the Bears with a 1st and goal at the Falcons 5 yard line with 32 seconds left. Mariota spikes the ball with 15 seconds left to stop the clock and sets up and epic goal line stand by the Falcons D. Mariota first tries Jamison Crowder then twice to Demaryius Thomas but the Falcons deny them forcing the Bears to turnover the ball on downs. Rivers kneels down to run off the remaining second and the celebration starts in Atlanta. Nate Washington is named game MVP as he caught 8 passes for 154 yards and a TD. Larry Fitzgerald added 5 catches for 47 yards and a TD. On the ground Lamar Miller had 17 rushes for 81 yards and a TD. Rivers passed for 317 with 2 TDs and 2 INTs. For the Bears, Mariota had a big game with 336 yards and TD pass to Demaryius Thomas. Thomas totalled 9 catches for 126 yard and a TD. While DeAngelo Williams didn't rush for many yards, as he only had 28 yards on 14 carries, he had a TD rushing and added 4 catches for 79 yards and a TD. The Falcons D forced 5 fumbles including 3 by Von Miller but could not recover any of them. Result was losing the turnover battle 0-2 but sstill being able to make enough plays to win. Congrats to Dennis on a very well coached game and a great season. Now the Falcons wait to host the winner of the Packers / Redskins game. Green Bay 7 at Washington 23
 The Washington defense led by Melvin Ingram and his two sacks suffocated the Green Bay offense.
Green Bay traveled to Washington for their divisional round playoff game and they would receive a rude welcoming. Washington would get the ball first and Jennings would get it rolling with a 41 yard carry to start the game. 3 plays later Bridgewater would hit Bryant for a 17 yard TD. Green Bay would quickly go 3 and out and punt to Bolden who would return it 40 yards which would result in a Washington FG. Green Bay would have to run another 4 plays and punt again and Bolden would return that one 28 yards. That drive would stall out for Washington but they would hit another FG to bring the lead to 13-0. Green Bay would go three and out again and Washington would drive down to the red zone. It appeared they would have to settle for a FG but on 3rd and goal from the 11 a personal foul would give the drive new life. 2 plays later and Jennings would punch it in from 7 yards out to push the lead to 20.
It wouldn't be until just under 3 minutes that Green Bay would finally get something going on offense. Cutler would quickly march them down the field for a TD to bring the halftime score to 20-7 with Green Bay getting the ball to start the second half. They would pickup where they left off int he half and push the ball to the Washington 48 but the drive stalled out and they would be forced to punt. A poor return decision by Bolden would leave Washington pinned inside the 4 yard line. Washington would push their way out of the shadow of the goal post but they would face a daunting 3rd and 14 against one of the best pass defenses in the league. Fortunately the Green Bay defense was frustrated and picked a fight and the refs threw the flag. 15 yards first down Washington. The drive would stall out on the Green Bay 22 and Washington would be forced to kick a FG but the damage was already done as it was now 23-7 and the drive ate 9 minutes off the clock. With the clock ticking down Washington was able to sit back and rush the passer at will and Green Bay couldn't protect Cutler. Over the next 3 drives Cutler would be sacked 4 times with each one essentially killing the drive. John called a great game. Things went downhill pretty quickly in the game and he managed to dig himself out of it by halftime to give himself a shot. There were not a lot of penalties in the game but two called against Green Bay were especially brutal allowing Washington to get a TD instead of a FG and a second one extending a drive that resulted in a FG. Washington will head to Atlanta next week for the NFC Championship game while Green Bay will lick their wounds and prepare for the draft. 
2016 IFL AWARDS
2016 IFL COACH OF THE YEAR
Atlanta Falcons Coach Marty Golden was named IFL Coach of the Year by Dave Koch Sports. Golden led his Falcons to the league's best record with a 15-1 mark while capturing the NFC West division championship. The Falcons finished in the top ten in both team offense and team defense. The Falcon defense allowed ten or less points in eight of their games. Washington Coach Kris Heaton finished second in the balloting and New England Coach Kevin Kolb placed third.
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AFC RIVALS KURT AND YOUR COMMISH AFTER ENJOYING LUNCH AT HOOTERS.
IFL SUPER BOWL
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SPURLOCK'S KICKOFF RETURN IGNITES RAIDER RALLY!
The Cardinals come into the game with the best scoring and ave per play offense in the league and the the Raiders with the best D in those same categories so on paper it was going to be a close game.
Oakland takes to opening kick off and starts out on their own 20 and Marshawn Lynch promptly coughs up the ball on the first play from scrimmage. Luckily Greg Olsen was hustling on the play and covers it up for Oakland. The 13 play Raider drive stalls out eventually and Josh Scobee kicks a 41 yard Fg to give the Raiders an early lead Oakland 3-0
Az takes the ball over at their 38 and it was the opening curtain on the AD show (as in ALL FU%$ING DAY !). Peterson shreds the Raider D like it was actually the paper it looked so good on. Carrying the ball for 50 yards on 6 carries, capping it off with a 7 yard TD run. The Raiders also lose DT Henry Melton for the rest of the game Az 7-3
Raiders take to ball back over and have a bit of luck with play-action but again Lynch puts the ball on the ground for the second consecutive drive the drive only picks up a Scobee FG. Az 7-6 AD is again, ALL DAY, picking up 67 yards on 8 carries with another TD from 4 yards out. Az 14-6
Oakland gets a HUGE break when Michael Spurlock returns the Blair Walsh kick 100 yards for the TD with 3:30 left in the game. Az 14-13
The Cards finally sputter a bit and Big Ben cant convert on 3rd and 10 and they are forced to punt. This is where it gets odd... The Cards punter is inexplicably 'hurt(?)' and Blair Walsh would have to pull double duty for the rest of the game as the punter also. His first punt is an awful 21 yarder. The Raiders, moving the ball down the field deftly, with 29 ticks left on the clock, run a med fly to Welker that oddly takes all 29 ticks off the clock to end the half. Az 14-13 at the half
Az gets the second half kick and receives their 3rd of, soon to be 4, KOR penalties of the game. AD gets a first down on the first two carries but on 3rd and 5 the Raiders gamble a bit and double cover Brandon Marshall and they catch a break as Ben's pass hits the ground. Again, Walsh's punt is a mediocre 34 yarder that Spurlock returns for 14 yds setting Oakland up at midfield but a sack and then a William Moore pick gives the Cards the ball at their own 41 Az is unable to capitalize, after a Luiget sack, and Walsh once again does not impress with his punting skills. Oakland gets the ball back and are able to get another Scobee FG. Oak 16-14
After a FOURTH KOR penalty, the Cards jump on the back of Peterson and he does not dissapoint. Carrying the ball 10 times for 71 yards capping it off with his 3rd TD of the game. Az 21-16
The Raiders and Cards exchange punts on the next two series with Oakland getting the ball back at the Az 43 thanks to another shitty Walsh punt. The next play from scrimmage, like last weeks AFC Championship game, Welker takes a rather pedestrian pass and 'sprints' 43 yards for the score. Oakland misses the 2-pt conversion. Oak 22-21
The Cards get the ball back and AD starts reeling off the yardage in big chunks until........... HE COUGHS UP THE BALL!! at the Raider 42 and Terelle Brown pounces on it for Oakland. Oakland is unable to do anything with the gift and punt it back to Az after a couple of penalties on their OL. Az gets the ball back with 2:15 at their 18 with a great punt by Oakland's Andy Lee. Ben's first pass is complete, sort of, after a deflection at the line to RT Sean Locklear who loses 3 yards. Next play, AD loses two on the draw with a huge play by DT Suh. Two inc later the Raiders take the ball over at the Cards 13 with 1:43 left and administer the coup de grace with a 5 yard play-action pass to Welker for his 2nd TD of the game. Final Oak 29 Az 21
AD KILLED US, 40-265-3 td and lest we not forget the fumble when Az was already in FG range, but Jim really was hurt by the KOR penalties and the mysterious punter injury. It may not seem like a huge deal, a punter getting hurt, but it meant a big difference in field position. Schaub was , once again, essentially efficient, and Lynch helped keep the Card D honest as bait for play-action. Big Ben was terrible when the Cards needed him to be, at least, a game manager.
Oakland takes to opening kick off and starts out on their own 20 and Marshawn Lynch promptly coughs up the ball on the first play from scrimmage. Luckily Greg Olsen was hustling on the play and covers it up for Oakland. The 13 play Raider drive stalls out eventually and Josh Scobee kicks a 41 yard Fg to give the Raiders an early lead Oakland 3-0
Az takes the ball over at their 38 and it was the opening curtain on the AD show (as in ALL FU%$ING DAY !). Peterson shreds the Raider D like it was actually the paper it looked so good on. Carrying the ball for 50 yards on 6 carries, capping it off with a 7 yard TD run. The Raiders also lose DT Henry Melton for the rest of the game Az 7-3
Raiders take to ball back over and have a bit of luck with play-action but again Lynch puts the ball on the ground for the second consecutive drive the drive only picks up a Scobee FG. Az 7-6 AD is again, ALL DAY, picking up 67 yards on 8 carries with another TD from 4 yards out. Az 14-6
Oakland gets a HUGE break when Michael Spurlock returns the Blair Walsh kick 100 yards for the TD with 3:30 left in the game. Az 14-13
The Cards finally sputter a bit and Big Ben cant convert on 3rd and 10 and they are forced to punt. This is where it gets odd... The Cards punter is inexplicably 'hurt(?)' and Blair Walsh would have to pull double duty for the rest of the game as the punter also. His first punt is an awful 21 yarder. The Raiders, moving the ball down the field deftly, with 29 ticks left on the clock, run a med fly to Welker that oddly takes all 29 ticks off the clock to end the half. Az 14-13 at the half
Az gets the second half kick and receives their 3rd of, soon to be 4, KOR penalties of the game. AD gets a first down on the first two carries but on 3rd and 5 the Raiders gamble a bit and double cover Brandon Marshall and they catch a break as Ben's pass hits the ground. Again, Walsh's punt is a mediocre 34 yarder that Spurlock returns for 14 yds setting Oakland up at midfield but a sack and then a William Moore pick gives the Cards the ball at their own 41 Az is unable to capitalize, after a Luiget sack, and Walsh once again does not impress with his punting skills. Oakland gets the ball back and are able to get another Scobee FG. Oak 16-14
After a FOURTH KOR penalty, the Cards jump on the back of Peterson and he does not dissapoint. Carrying the ball 10 times for 71 yards capping it off with his 3rd TD of the game. Az 21-16
The Raiders and Cards exchange punts on the next two series with Oakland getting the ball back at the Az 43 thanks to another shitty Walsh punt. The next play from scrimmage, like last weeks AFC Championship game, Welker takes a rather pedestrian pass and 'sprints' 43 yards for the score. Oakland misses the 2-pt conversion. Oak 22-21
The Cards get the ball back and AD starts reeling off the yardage in big chunks until........... HE COUGHS UP THE BALL!! at the Raider 42 and Terelle Brown pounces on it for Oakland. Oakland is unable to do anything with the gift and punt it back to Az after a couple of penalties on their OL. Az gets the ball back with 2:15 at their 18 with a great punt by Oakland's Andy Lee. Ben's first pass is complete, sort of, after a deflection at the line to RT Sean Locklear who loses 3 yards. Next play, AD loses two on the draw with a huge play by DT Suh. Two inc later the Raiders take the ball over at the Cards 13 with 1:43 left and administer the coup de grace with a 5 yard play-action pass to Welker for his 2nd TD of the game. Final Oak 29 Az 21
AD KILLED US, 40-265-3 td and lest we not forget the fumble when Az was already in FG range, but Jim really was hurt by the KOR penalties and the mysterious punter injury. It may not seem like a huge deal, a punter getting hurt, but it meant a big difference in field position. Schaub was , once again, essentially efficient, and Lynch helped keep the Card D honest as bait for play-action. Big Ben was terrible when the Cards needed him to be, at least, a game manager.
Kurt and Jude at Bank of America Stadium.
OAKLAND'S JOHNSON NAMED IFL COACH OF THE YEAR
Action PC Sports games named Raider Head Coach Kurt Johnson the IFL Coach of the Year. For the second time in three seasons Johnson has his Raiders heading into the postseason with an undefeated record. In 2011 Johnson completed an undefeated Super Bowl Championship season. Johnson also led Oakland to the 2008 IFL Championship. The Raiders did not have a cake walk in the AFC West as both second place Denver, 13-3 and third place Kansas City, 12-4 finished with the second and third best records in the AFC.
Arizona's Jim Heaton finished second in the tabulation and Atlanta's Marty Golden finished third.
Arizona's Jim Heaton finished second in the tabulation and Atlanta's Marty Golden finished third.
FALCONS MILLER NAMED IFL DEFENSIVE MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Action PC Sports games named Atlanta linebacker Von Miller the 2013 IFL Defensive Most Valuable Player. Miller ranked among the league leaders with 15 sacks and also intercepted three passes. The Falcon linebacker finished with 76 tackles including 11 stuffs and a team leading eight forced fumbles helping the Falcons to the NFC West Division title and the number two seed in the NFC.
Miller edged out Denver Defensive End J.J. Watt and Kansas City Cornerback Richard Sherman in the tabulation.
Miller edged out Denver Defensive End J.J. Watt and Kansas City Cornerback Richard Sherman in the tabulation.
CARDINALS PETERSON NAMED IFL OFFENSIVE MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Action PC Sports games named Arizona Running Back Adrian Peterson the 2013 IFL Offensive Most Valuable Player. Peterson won the IFL Rushing title for the second time in his career with 2,219 yards on 337 attempts, good for a 6.6 average. His 32 rushing touchdowns set a new single season IFL record surpassing the previous high of 31 by Jacksonville's Curtis Martin back in 2002. The 2,219 yards was the second most rushing yards in a season in the IFL. Second only to the Giants Clinton Portis who rushed for 2,273 yards in 2003. Peterson helped the Cardinals to a 15-1 regular season record and the number one seed in the NFC.
Oakland Running Back Marshawn Lynch finished second in the tabulation while Miami rookie Running Back Alfred Morris placed third.
Oakland Running Back Marshawn Lynch finished second in the tabulation while Miami rookie Running Back Alfred Morris placed third.
REDSKINS NIP BENGALS 15-13 TO CLAIM SECOND TITLE IN THREE YEARS
The Bengals won the toss to open the game and elected to defer. They wanted to rely on their Defense for a quick stop and get a leg up in the field position battle. This is generally the Skins preference so they were a little dismayed to start with the ball first. The skins drive started off promising picking up a nice return and a quick strike to Vincent Jackson. A pass interference call and they were already at their own 48 yard line. The skins running game seemed to stall out and on 3rd and 11 they ran the play they had been working on all week. An end around to the explosive Vincent Jackson. The play was a failure and left the skins wondering if Coach Storer had been videotaping their practices.
The Bengals would start their drive at the 20 yard line and Aaron Rodgers was eager to put 2010 behind him. However he might have been a little too eager. On 3rd and 7 from their own 23 yard line Carlos Rodgers baited him and jumped the route. He intercepted it and took it to the 17 yard line. The Bengals D would bail him out though. Stopping the Skins offense cold in their tracks and they would have to settle for a FG.
The Bengals second drive was certainly better than the first but that wasn’t saying much. A short gain to Knox moved the ball to the 40 but that was followed by Benson getting stuffed at the line and two more incompletions by Rodgers. The Bengals would be forced to punt.
The skins offense was attempting to establish some sort of run game against the stout Bengals Run D but they couldn’t get anywhere. I quick 3 and out and they were punting back to Rodgers.
The Bengals third possession was much like the previous one. Incomplete and a 1 yard scramble. On 3rd and 9 Rodgers was pressured and forced to dump it off to Gresham. Weddle was waiting and stopped him cold for a 7 yard game. Rodgers just couldn’t seem to get into a groove.
Starting at their own 14 the Skins were hoping to mix it up and try to get something going. Clay took a dump off pass 10 yards. 1st down skins. Stewart added a 5 yard run and Garcon beat Revis for another 5. The skins were starting to pick up steam. Stewart would be stoned on his next run. The Skins coach begin to wonder if the magnitude of the game was getting to Stewart. He was struggling to hit the right holes and to pick up positive yards. The coach made the choice to throw Tate into the mix. Garcon would beat Revis again for another 12. Then Tate started to move the chains. He hit it up the gut for 8 yards. With a 2nd and 2 from the 46 the Bengals were expecting the Skins to take a shot down the field and Tate made them pay. He ripped off a 28 yard gain to take it to the 18 yard line. The Redzone is where offenses go to die against the Bengals. They tightened up their defense and on 3rd and 4 from the 12 Ngata dragged Stewart down for a 3 yard gain. The Skins would have to settle for another FG. 6-0 Skins.
After 1 quarter of play Rodgers was 2 for 2-5 for 23 yards and an INT. He knew he was going to have to step his play up if he had a chance. They begin to get Benson involved in the game and he started to pick up nice gains. The Skins were reluctant to shift their focus to him knowing what Rodgers could do. A 7 yard gain followed by a 10 yarder by Benson and they had the Skins D on their heels. Rodgers started to take what the defense would give him dumping it off to his TE and backs. It wasn’t pretty but it was moving the chains. Another big 13 yard burst by Benson and the Bengals were threatening at the Skins 27 yard line. On 2nd and 10 the Skins would get their first sack of the day. Andre Carter would bring Rodgers down for a 6 yard loss. On 3rd and 17 the Bengals were playing it conservative just looking to make a FG a little more manageable. Rodgers tossed a short hitch to Rice he bobbled the ball and dropped it. However the Refs said that Woodson got there too early and threw the flag. The Skins HC was furious. It appeared that this might be a game changing play. However oddly enough it had no effect. Benson would pick up 2 yards on 1st down. Andre Smith got called for a holding on 2nd. With 2nd and 18 Rodgers was unable to hit Austin. On 3rd and 18 Rodgers was forced to dump it off to Benson for a 2 yard gain. Cinci was forced to kick the same 51 yard FG they would have prior to the penalty. The Bengals would trot out the Nuge to the dismay of Bengal fans. Fans still have memories of Shane Graham shanking a 32 yarder in the 2010 Super Bowl. The Nuge quickly reminded fans he is not the old Shane Graham. He crushed it right down the middle. 6-3 Skins with 4:55 left in the half.
Realizing the defense they were up against the Skins were in no hurry to move the ball. A passing attack wasn’t their game. They were hoping to move the ball enough to eat some clock and if they got in FG range that would be a positive. To say it simply enough: They didn’t trust Schaub even if he was producing when it mattered the most. On 3rd and 8 from their own 22 he hit Winslow for a 13 yard gain. Seeing that they had an advantage with a 2 TE set going against a nickel D they tried to run a hurry up but Cinci was quick to call a TO. Most of the talk before the game had been about the dominant Skins pass rush and how little the Bengals D-line offered in that phase of the game. Ngata must have been taking notes because on 1st down he blasted Schaub for an 8 yard loss essentially ending the Skins drive before it even got going. For his great play though he had a monster gaffe on the punt unit. A nice return by Logan was wiped out by a Ngata holding penalty.
The Bengals would start from their own 9 with 2 minutes left. Rodgers was not content to go into halftime down 6-3 and he launched a deep slant to rice who picked up 33. With 1:48 remaining they were now in position to tie it up or go ahead. That all ended though when Oher picked up a holding call. At their own 37 with only 45 seconds left they decided to pack it in.
The Bengals would receive the ball in the second half and it was clear that they had decided to change up their game plan. They realized that Rodgers was trying to do too much and decided to get Benson more involved. It was a solid strategy and was working. Benson ripped off runs of 5, 7, 5, and 8 yards. They were steam rolling over pass rushing specialist Andre Carter. This started to slow down the pass rush and give Rodgers more time and he found Sydney Rice for a 24 yard TD to give them a 10-6 lead.
It appeared that Rodgers was beginning to heat up and the Skins had to answer. The running game had been sporadic and it appeared Stewart was over matched in this game. The Skins knew that if there was one weakness to the Bengals pass D it was their safeties. Their coach had felt all along that their best option in this game was their TEs. They started to run more double TE sets to get the explosive Cook involved. On 2nd and 10 Schaub hit Winslow for 12. 3rd and 11 he hit Cook for 11. 3rd and 2 he hit Winslow for 14. They had gotten the ball to the 31 yard line and were looking for a big play to get them in the endzone when Whitworth got called for a false start. Schaub would miss Jackson deep. A stewart run would get them to a more manageable 3rd and 9. Schaub threw the swing pass to Stewart but he was clocked a yard short by Landry. The Skins were playing in a double TE set and again the Bengals had rotated to a nickel D. With a 4th and 1 the skins hurried to the line to go for it. Seeing a clear mismatch Bengals coach Storer elected to use a TO. The skins would settle for the FG 10-9 Bengals.
Knowing how difficult it is to score on the Bengals D the Skins D knew they would have to make another big play. On 1st and 10 Gresham was called for a holding penalty negating a big run by Benson. They were left with a 1st and 20 from their own 24 and knew this was a great opportunity. Rodgers would dump the ball off to Gresham which he had been doing all day. Weddle stood him up and managed to rip the ball out and a dog pile ensued. When all the bodies were removed Orakpo was the man at the bottom of the pile with the ball. With great field position the Skins had to take a shot in the endzone. They hit Garcon for an 11 yard gain. Then on 1st and 10 from the 19 the Bengals had stacked the box against Tate. Schaub ran a perfect play action fake and hit Garcon over the top for a 19 yard td. 15-10 skin with 1:21 left in the 3rd quarter. The way the game was going the Skins were left with a difficult choice. Rodgers had begun to heat up and they felt he had at least one more TD left in him. They made the decision to go for 2 to push the lead to 17. They called a short curl to Winslow but the Bengals D stood strong and knocked it down.
The Bengals were looking to answer and Rodgers was confident. Benson was still rolling through the Skins D which was giving Rodgers some favorable looks. He converted a clutch 3rd and 7 to Rice for 16 yards. It became clear that he was picking on Woodson, his nemesis from Super Bowl 10. Austin picked up 13 followed by Benson steam rolling for 6, 7, and 8 yards. On 1st and 10 from the 12 Rodgers dumped it off to Benson for 7 yards. 2nd and 3 from the 5 and skins finally stopped benson in his tracks. Left with a 3rd and 4 the Bengals begin to shuffle players in and out of their lineup and there was a lot of confusion about what they were going to run. Rodgers couldn’t’ get everyone in position and they were flagged for a delay of game. 3rd and 9 Rodgers would look for Rice in the back of the endzone but it was tipped away by Woodson at the last minute. The Bengals would settle for a FG. 15-13 Skins. People were beginning to second guess the skins wisdom of going for 2 as now Rodgers would only need to lead them to a FG to win.
On the ensuing kickoff JPP was flagged for a holding call and the skins drive would have to start on their own 6 yard line. They tried to keep it on the ground to burn clock and not wanting to turn it over backed up in their own endzone. Stewart bust up the middle for 6 yards. On 2nd down Wells blew his assignment and stewart was rocked in the backfield for a 1 yard loss. On 3rd and 5 the skins played ultra conservative and pitched it to Tate hoping he could break one for a first down. Peko rumbled down the line and brought him down for a 3 yard gain. The Bengals were looking at great field position down only 2. Punting from his own 14 Kluwe crushed a boomer. Logan was unprepared for such a long kick and was forced to backpeddle and call for a fair catch for a 54 yard punt.
The Bengals had the ball on the 32 yard line with 6:22 remaining and 2 TOs. Depending how much time they used on this drive they probably had 2 possessions left if their D held up. One first down Rodgers tried to throw a medium slant to Rice but Woodson broke it up. On 2nd and 10 the Skins coverage held up and he was forced to dump it off to Gresham for a 5 yard gain. On 3rd and 5 The skins smothered the Bengals receivers at the line. Rodgers looked to complete another dumpoff pass to Benson but his receiving skills, or lack there of , finally got the best of him and he couldn’t reel it in. With a 4th and 5 at their own 37 the Bengals decided to rely on their D.
The skins would start their drive at the 22 yard line up only 2 with 5:23 left. With Rodgers sitting on the sideline the skins knew they couldn’t’ simply run the ball 3 times and punt. So on first down they called a play action pass out route to Garcon. The Bengals were bringing everyone close to the line and garcon beat Revis for 9 yards. On 2nd and 1 Stewart was stuff for no gain. The skins changed backs and tried again. Tate would take it up the gut and thanks to some nice blocking was able to pick up a yard. The clock was starting to burn down. They knew they only needed a few first downs to seal the game. Tate would take the next carry for 3 yards. On 2nd and 7 the Skins would again run a play action pass to Jackson. Revis managed to make a play on it and swat it away. On 3rd and 7 with 2:26 left the Skins knew they had to throw. As good as their D was there was just too much time left on the clock to give Rodgers another chance. Schaub would be forced from the pocket and checked it down to Jackson. He was quickly wrapped up but Joseph but a measurement would show that it was another skins first down.
The Bengals would call their 2nd time out leaving 2:22 on the clock. On first down Tate would be stuffed but there would be a holding call stopping the clock. Cinci would decline the panlty. On 2nd down Tate would get stuffed again and the Bengals would let the clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 3rd down The skins tried a draw to Stewart which would go nowhere and they would be forced to punt.
The Bengals would get the ball at the 20 yard line with 1:51 left down 2 points and no timeouts. Flashback two years ago. Rodgers had the ball with 2:08, 2 time outs down 3 points. He would throw a pick 6 to give Washington its first victory. He was now given a chance to re-write that game and he would only need a FG to win the game. On First down he would miss Rice on an out pattern. On second down the Skins pressure got to him and he was forced to toss it to benson who couldn’t get his hands on it. On 3rd down he throws a short hitch to Austin who is immediately wrapped up by Rodgers for a 5 yard gain. With the clock ticking away they are forced to hustle to the line. Rodgers tries for another short hitch and rushes the throw to Austin but its too high and the Bengals turn it over on downs sealing the victory for the Skins.
Matt Schaub was given the MVP award and deservedly so. He was 13-21 for 142 yards and 1 TD for a 97.7 qb rating. He had 0 turnovers. The skins were 10-14 (The state seems off to me but it says that) on 3rd down. All but one of those came through the air.
The Skins running game was sporadic as they picked up 106 yards on 3 carries. Tate had 14 carries for 70 yards and Stewart was an abysmal 15 for 37. Through the air Garcon managed to beat Revis 5 times for 56 yards and a TD. Winslow caught 3 passes for 39 yards. All 3 of them picking up first downs.
Carlos Rodgers managed 1 interception and Weddle forced a fumble. Carter and Tuck both managed to pick up a sack.
For the Bengals Rodgers appears to have had his worst game of the year. He was 20-36 for 211 1TD and 1 INT. He finished with a 70.5 QB rating. Benson had perhaps one of his best games rushing 18 times for 97 yards. Gresham caught 7 passes, most of them check downs, for 50 yards and a crucial fumble. Rice lead the team with 91 receiving yards on 5 receptions.
The two glaring stats that stick out are the 2 turnovers by the Bengals to 0 by the skins. The second is the Bengals were only 1-10 on 3rd down while the Skins were 10-14.
Congrats to John on another great season and a well coached game. The breaks seems to go my way today as my team didn't turn the ball over while picking up 2 myself. Even with a down game from Rodgers he kept himself in it and sill had a chance to beat me. Also thanks for putting the time in to keep the league going strong. It was another great year.
This more than likely ends the Skins 3 year run at the top as they will be forced to draft a Doctor next year. With 3 NFC East titles, 3 NFC Championship appearances, and 2 super bowl victories it was a pretty good run.
The Bengals would start their drive at the 20 yard line and Aaron Rodgers was eager to put 2010 behind him. However he might have been a little too eager. On 3rd and 7 from their own 23 yard line Carlos Rodgers baited him and jumped the route. He intercepted it and took it to the 17 yard line. The Bengals D would bail him out though. Stopping the Skins offense cold in their tracks and they would have to settle for a FG.
The Bengals second drive was certainly better than the first but that wasn’t saying much. A short gain to Knox moved the ball to the 40 but that was followed by Benson getting stuffed at the line and two more incompletions by Rodgers. The Bengals would be forced to punt.
The skins offense was attempting to establish some sort of run game against the stout Bengals Run D but they couldn’t get anywhere. I quick 3 and out and they were punting back to Rodgers.
The Bengals third possession was much like the previous one. Incomplete and a 1 yard scramble. On 3rd and 9 Rodgers was pressured and forced to dump it off to Gresham. Weddle was waiting and stopped him cold for a 7 yard game. Rodgers just couldn’t seem to get into a groove.
Starting at their own 14 the Skins were hoping to mix it up and try to get something going. Clay took a dump off pass 10 yards. 1st down skins. Stewart added a 5 yard run and Garcon beat Revis for another 5. The skins were starting to pick up steam. Stewart would be stoned on his next run. The Skins coach begin to wonder if the magnitude of the game was getting to Stewart. He was struggling to hit the right holes and to pick up positive yards. The coach made the choice to throw Tate into the mix. Garcon would beat Revis again for another 12. Then Tate started to move the chains. He hit it up the gut for 8 yards. With a 2nd and 2 from the 46 the Bengals were expecting the Skins to take a shot down the field and Tate made them pay. He ripped off a 28 yard gain to take it to the 18 yard line. The Redzone is where offenses go to die against the Bengals. They tightened up their defense and on 3rd and 4 from the 12 Ngata dragged Stewart down for a 3 yard gain. The Skins would have to settle for another FG. 6-0 Skins.
After 1 quarter of play Rodgers was 2 for 2-5 for 23 yards and an INT. He knew he was going to have to step his play up if he had a chance. They begin to get Benson involved in the game and he started to pick up nice gains. The Skins were reluctant to shift their focus to him knowing what Rodgers could do. A 7 yard gain followed by a 10 yarder by Benson and they had the Skins D on their heels. Rodgers started to take what the defense would give him dumping it off to his TE and backs. It wasn’t pretty but it was moving the chains. Another big 13 yard burst by Benson and the Bengals were threatening at the Skins 27 yard line. On 2nd and 10 the Skins would get their first sack of the day. Andre Carter would bring Rodgers down for a 6 yard loss. On 3rd and 17 the Bengals were playing it conservative just looking to make a FG a little more manageable. Rodgers tossed a short hitch to Rice he bobbled the ball and dropped it. However the Refs said that Woodson got there too early and threw the flag. The Skins HC was furious. It appeared that this might be a game changing play. However oddly enough it had no effect. Benson would pick up 2 yards on 1st down. Andre Smith got called for a holding on 2nd. With 2nd and 18 Rodgers was unable to hit Austin. On 3rd and 18 Rodgers was forced to dump it off to Benson for a 2 yard gain. Cinci was forced to kick the same 51 yard FG they would have prior to the penalty. The Bengals would trot out the Nuge to the dismay of Bengal fans. Fans still have memories of Shane Graham shanking a 32 yarder in the 2010 Super Bowl. The Nuge quickly reminded fans he is not the old Shane Graham. He crushed it right down the middle. 6-3 Skins with 4:55 left in the half.
Realizing the defense they were up against the Skins were in no hurry to move the ball. A passing attack wasn’t their game. They were hoping to move the ball enough to eat some clock and if they got in FG range that would be a positive. To say it simply enough: They didn’t trust Schaub even if he was producing when it mattered the most. On 3rd and 8 from their own 22 he hit Winslow for a 13 yard gain. Seeing that they had an advantage with a 2 TE set going against a nickel D they tried to run a hurry up but Cinci was quick to call a TO. Most of the talk before the game had been about the dominant Skins pass rush and how little the Bengals D-line offered in that phase of the game. Ngata must have been taking notes because on 1st down he blasted Schaub for an 8 yard loss essentially ending the Skins drive before it even got going. For his great play though he had a monster gaffe on the punt unit. A nice return by Logan was wiped out by a Ngata holding penalty.
The Bengals would start from their own 9 with 2 minutes left. Rodgers was not content to go into halftime down 6-3 and he launched a deep slant to rice who picked up 33. With 1:48 remaining they were now in position to tie it up or go ahead. That all ended though when Oher picked up a holding call. At their own 37 with only 45 seconds left they decided to pack it in.
The Bengals would receive the ball in the second half and it was clear that they had decided to change up their game plan. They realized that Rodgers was trying to do too much and decided to get Benson more involved. It was a solid strategy and was working. Benson ripped off runs of 5, 7, 5, and 8 yards. They were steam rolling over pass rushing specialist Andre Carter. This started to slow down the pass rush and give Rodgers more time and he found Sydney Rice for a 24 yard TD to give them a 10-6 lead.
It appeared that Rodgers was beginning to heat up and the Skins had to answer. The running game had been sporadic and it appeared Stewart was over matched in this game. The Skins knew that if there was one weakness to the Bengals pass D it was their safeties. Their coach had felt all along that their best option in this game was their TEs. They started to run more double TE sets to get the explosive Cook involved. On 2nd and 10 Schaub hit Winslow for 12. 3rd and 11 he hit Cook for 11. 3rd and 2 he hit Winslow for 14. They had gotten the ball to the 31 yard line and were looking for a big play to get them in the endzone when Whitworth got called for a false start. Schaub would miss Jackson deep. A stewart run would get them to a more manageable 3rd and 9. Schaub threw the swing pass to Stewart but he was clocked a yard short by Landry. The Skins were playing in a double TE set and again the Bengals had rotated to a nickel D. With a 4th and 1 the skins hurried to the line to go for it. Seeing a clear mismatch Bengals coach Storer elected to use a TO. The skins would settle for the FG 10-9 Bengals.
Knowing how difficult it is to score on the Bengals D the Skins D knew they would have to make another big play. On 1st and 10 Gresham was called for a holding penalty negating a big run by Benson. They were left with a 1st and 20 from their own 24 and knew this was a great opportunity. Rodgers would dump the ball off to Gresham which he had been doing all day. Weddle stood him up and managed to rip the ball out and a dog pile ensued. When all the bodies were removed Orakpo was the man at the bottom of the pile with the ball. With great field position the Skins had to take a shot in the endzone. They hit Garcon for an 11 yard gain. Then on 1st and 10 from the 19 the Bengals had stacked the box against Tate. Schaub ran a perfect play action fake and hit Garcon over the top for a 19 yard td. 15-10 skin with 1:21 left in the 3rd quarter. The way the game was going the Skins were left with a difficult choice. Rodgers had begun to heat up and they felt he had at least one more TD left in him. They made the decision to go for 2 to push the lead to 17. They called a short curl to Winslow but the Bengals D stood strong and knocked it down.
The Bengals were looking to answer and Rodgers was confident. Benson was still rolling through the Skins D which was giving Rodgers some favorable looks. He converted a clutch 3rd and 7 to Rice for 16 yards. It became clear that he was picking on Woodson, his nemesis from Super Bowl 10. Austin picked up 13 followed by Benson steam rolling for 6, 7, and 8 yards. On 1st and 10 from the 12 Rodgers dumped it off to Benson for 7 yards. 2nd and 3 from the 5 and skins finally stopped benson in his tracks. Left with a 3rd and 4 the Bengals begin to shuffle players in and out of their lineup and there was a lot of confusion about what they were going to run. Rodgers couldn’t’ get everyone in position and they were flagged for a delay of game. 3rd and 9 Rodgers would look for Rice in the back of the endzone but it was tipped away by Woodson at the last minute. The Bengals would settle for a FG. 15-13 Skins. People were beginning to second guess the skins wisdom of going for 2 as now Rodgers would only need to lead them to a FG to win.
On the ensuing kickoff JPP was flagged for a holding call and the skins drive would have to start on their own 6 yard line. They tried to keep it on the ground to burn clock and not wanting to turn it over backed up in their own endzone. Stewart bust up the middle for 6 yards. On 2nd down Wells blew his assignment and stewart was rocked in the backfield for a 1 yard loss. On 3rd and 5 the skins played ultra conservative and pitched it to Tate hoping he could break one for a first down. Peko rumbled down the line and brought him down for a 3 yard gain. The Bengals were looking at great field position down only 2. Punting from his own 14 Kluwe crushed a boomer. Logan was unprepared for such a long kick and was forced to backpeddle and call for a fair catch for a 54 yard punt.
The Bengals had the ball on the 32 yard line with 6:22 remaining and 2 TOs. Depending how much time they used on this drive they probably had 2 possessions left if their D held up. One first down Rodgers tried to throw a medium slant to Rice but Woodson broke it up. On 2nd and 10 the Skins coverage held up and he was forced to dump it off to Gresham for a 5 yard gain. On 3rd and 5 The skins smothered the Bengals receivers at the line. Rodgers looked to complete another dumpoff pass to Benson but his receiving skills, or lack there of , finally got the best of him and he couldn’t reel it in. With a 4th and 5 at their own 37 the Bengals decided to rely on their D.
The skins would start their drive at the 22 yard line up only 2 with 5:23 left. With Rodgers sitting on the sideline the skins knew they couldn’t’ simply run the ball 3 times and punt. So on first down they called a play action pass out route to Garcon. The Bengals were bringing everyone close to the line and garcon beat Revis for 9 yards. On 2nd and 1 Stewart was stuff for no gain. The skins changed backs and tried again. Tate would take it up the gut and thanks to some nice blocking was able to pick up a yard. The clock was starting to burn down. They knew they only needed a few first downs to seal the game. Tate would take the next carry for 3 yards. On 2nd and 7 the Skins would again run a play action pass to Jackson. Revis managed to make a play on it and swat it away. On 3rd and 7 with 2:26 left the Skins knew they had to throw. As good as their D was there was just too much time left on the clock to give Rodgers another chance. Schaub would be forced from the pocket and checked it down to Jackson. He was quickly wrapped up but Joseph but a measurement would show that it was another skins first down.
The Bengals would call their 2nd time out leaving 2:22 on the clock. On first down Tate would be stuffed but there would be a holding call stopping the clock. Cinci would decline the panlty. On 2nd down Tate would get stuffed again and the Bengals would let the clock hit the 2 minute warning. On 3rd down The skins tried a draw to Stewart which would go nowhere and they would be forced to punt.
The Bengals would get the ball at the 20 yard line with 1:51 left down 2 points and no timeouts. Flashback two years ago. Rodgers had the ball with 2:08, 2 time outs down 3 points. He would throw a pick 6 to give Washington its first victory. He was now given a chance to re-write that game and he would only need a FG to win the game. On First down he would miss Rice on an out pattern. On second down the Skins pressure got to him and he was forced to toss it to benson who couldn’t get his hands on it. On 3rd down he throws a short hitch to Austin who is immediately wrapped up by Rodgers for a 5 yard gain. With the clock ticking away they are forced to hustle to the line. Rodgers tries for another short hitch and rushes the throw to Austin but its too high and the Bengals turn it over on downs sealing the victory for the Skins.
Matt Schaub was given the MVP award and deservedly so. He was 13-21 for 142 yards and 1 TD for a 97.7 qb rating. He had 0 turnovers. The skins were 10-14 (The state seems off to me but it says that) on 3rd down. All but one of those came through the air.
The Skins running game was sporadic as they picked up 106 yards on 3 carries. Tate had 14 carries for 70 yards and Stewart was an abysmal 15 for 37. Through the air Garcon managed to beat Revis 5 times for 56 yards and a TD. Winslow caught 3 passes for 39 yards. All 3 of them picking up first downs.
Carlos Rodgers managed 1 interception and Weddle forced a fumble. Carter and Tuck both managed to pick up a sack.
For the Bengals Rodgers appears to have had his worst game of the year. He was 20-36 for 211 1TD and 1 INT. He finished with a 70.5 QB rating. Benson had perhaps one of his best games rushing 18 times for 97 yards. Gresham caught 7 passes, most of them check downs, for 50 yards and a crucial fumble. Rice lead the team with 91 receiving yards on 5 receptions.
The two glaring stats that stick out are the 2 turnovers by the Bengals to 0 by the skins. The second is the Bengals were only 1-10 on 3rd down while the Skins were 10-14.
Congrats to John on another great season and a well coached game. The breaks seems to go my way today as my team didn't turn the ball over while picking up 2 myself. Even with a down game from Rodgers he kept himself in it and sill had a chance to beat me. Also thanks for putting the time in to keep the league going strong. It was another great year.
This more than likely ends the Skins 3 year run at the top as they will be forced to draft a Doctor next year. With 3 NFC East titles, 3 NFC Championship appearances, and 2 super bowl victories it was a pretty good run.
