NEWS & NOTES (WEEK 12)This week we take a look at each team's MVP(s) and we have completed ¾ of the season.
AXC2 teams have punched a ticket to the postseason (Dakota/Buffalo). Dakota has clinched the South while Buffalo has clinched a postseason spot.
6 teams have been eliminated from postseason contention (Oakland, Miami, New England, Orlando, Texas, Daytona).
That leaves 8 teams fighting for the final 5 postseason spots.
WESTVancouver moved into 1st place this week and hold a ½ game lead over Indiana and Kansas City. Vancouver has a win over Indiana with the rematch coming in week 13 but Vancouver was swept by Kansas City. Indiana holds the tiebreaker over KC with a win & a tie in their two matchups. Exciting Division race.
Vancouver 8-4 (3-2)
Indiana 7-4-1 (3-1-1)
Kansas City 7-4-1 (3-1-1)
Oakland 1-10 (0-5)
KANSAS CITYThey started the season winning 2 of their first 3 games before a winless 3 game stretch where they lost 2 games with a tie sandwiched between them or a record of 2-3-1. They bounced back in week 7 and have won 5 straight to move into 1st place in the West. They traveled to Indiana in week 12 for a rematch of the week 5 game which ended in a 3-3 tie and lost 16-9 which dropped them from 1st to 3rd place in the Division. They return home in week 13 to host Cincinnati (8-4) and must win since Vancouver plays at Indiana in week 13 and barring a tie, the winner of that game claims 1st place alone atop the West with 3 games remaining.
OFFENSIVE MVP: WR Barry Walker
He leads the team in rushing (623 yards) and 6th in receiving (217 yards) plus he has 4 Total TDs.
DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Jason Moore
He has 46 tackles, 7 knockdowns, 1 forced fumble and leads the team with 4 interceptions while having a 54.5 catch allowed percentage on 44 passes defended.
VANCOUVERThey started the season winning their first 2 games and 4 of their first 5 games before suffering a 3 game losing streak to fall to 4-4. They have turned it back around with 3 straight wins and they hosted undefeated Buffalo in week 12 and won big 33-12 to move into 1st place in the West. They travel to Indiana (7-4-1) in week 13 and a win puts them in full control of the West with 3 games remaining as they would own a sweep over Indiana and have a 1½ game lead over them. KC host division leader Cincinnati (8-4) as Vancouver will be huge Defenders fans in week 13.
OFFENSIVE MVP: WR David Talty
He is making a case for an ALLPRO this season as he is 2nd in the league in receptions (97), yards (1,525) and TD receptions (13).
DEFENSIVE MVP: CB David Hooks
He has 60 tackles, 23 knockdowns, 4 interceptions, 1 forced fumble and a 28.8 catch allowed percentage on 66 passes defended.
INDIANAThey started the season losing thier first 2 games before winning 5 of the next 6 with the other game a tie to improve to 5-2-1. They lost another 2 straight games before bouncing back in week 11 with a 19-10 win over Houston at home. They remained home in week 12 where they welcomed in Kansas City for a division showdown and rematch of week 5 which ending in a 3-3 tie. They won which not only ties Indiana with KC but gives them an important division tiebreaker as they moved into 2nd place, a ½ game behind Vancouver who they host in week 13. If they win the game they will move into sole possession of 1st place in the West with 3 games remaining.
OFFENSIVE MVP: RB Danny Melillo
Indiana has struggled Offensively as a team scoring just 151 points in 12 games which works out to an average of 12.58 points per game but Melillo leads the team in rushing (807 yards) & Total yards (931).
DEFENSIVE MVP: SS Rolando Harding/SS Aaron Lucero
This safety tandem leads their stingy defense as Harding has 58 tackles, 12 knockdowns, 5 interceptions and a 50.0 catch allowed percentage on 100 passes defended while A A Ron leads the league in tackles (115) plus has added 2 sack & 4 hurries.
OAKLANDThey started the season losing 7 straight games but 4 of those loses were by just 3 points or less including 2 loses in overtime. They finally won in week 8 at Miami 23-10 before losing 3 more straight games but this time the 3 loses were by a combined score of 123-25. They hosted Daytona in week 12 and won 17-6 for just their 2nd win of the season. They travel to Toronto (7-5) in week 13 where they will look to play spoiler since they have been eliminated from the postseason.
OFFENSIVE MVP: RB Curtis Rivera
He leads the team in rushing (478 yards) and is 3rd in receiving (332 yards) while leading the team in Total yards (1,055) & Total TDs (3).
DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Jerry Cook
He has 62 tackles, 27 knockdowns (6th), 2 interceptions and a 56.1 catch allowed percentage on 98 (5th) passes defended.
EASTBuffalo sits atop the East with New York 2 games back plus Buffalo swept the season series over New York.
Buffalo 11-1 (5-0)
New York 9-3 (2-3)
Miami 3-9 (2-3)
New England 2-10 (1-4)
BUFFALOThey started the season winning 11 straight games including 4 wins by 2 points or less. You can only play who is on your schedule but they have played one of the easiest schedules in the XFL with the combined record of their opponents being 43-78 (.355) and only 3 opponents have a winning record. Irregardless, Buffalo controls the bye currently and they traveled to Vancouver in week 12 to play their 4 team with a winning record and suffered their first lose of the season. They retrun home in week 13 and host Miami but they have week 15 circled because that's when Dakota visits Buffalo for their annual showdown with the bye on the line for the winner.
OFFENSIVE MVP: QB Matthew Whitney/WR James Vasquez
The reigning 2× ALLPRO QB leads the league in passing yards (5,721) and TD passes (44) again as he is clearly in line for his 3rd straight ALLPRO selection. The former ALLPRO WR is 7th in the league in receptions (77), 3rd in receiving (1,381 yards) & 3rd in TD receptions (12).
DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Steven Holloman
This versatile player has 92 tackles (6th), 3 sacks, 9 hurries, 5 knockdowns, 2 forced fumble and 1 interception.
NEW YORK@
They started the season winning their first 2 games and 6 of their first 7 games before losing 2 straight to fall to 6-3. They bounced back with 2 straight wins before they welcomed in Saint Paul in week 12 and won 43-9. With the division seemingly outta reach, their focus has turned to landing a Wildcard spot and they only play 1 team with a winning record down the stretch as they travel to Zehlendorf (4-8) in week 13.
OFFENSIVE MVP: QB William Jennings
This 8th year vet and 3rd year starting QB for New York is 3rd in the league in pass yards (3,798) & 4th in TD passes (33).
DEFENSIVE MVP: WLB Frank Gilbert
He leads the team in tackles (80) along with having 4 forced fumbles (2nd), 14 knockdowns, 7 interceptions (3rd) and a 50.0 catch allowed percentage on 78 passes defended.
MIAMIThey starter the season with a win on the road before losing 7 straight games to finish the 1st half 1-7. They have turned it around recently winning 2 of their last 3 games before hosting Orlando in week 12 and losing a tight game 10-6. They travel to frigid Buffalo (11-1) in week 13 for their annual beat down as the Skull Crushers are promising no mercy after losing by 21 points to Vancouver in week 12.
OFFENSIVE MVP: RB George Shively
He leads the team in rushing (677 yards) & Total yards (1,032 yards) but only has 1 combined TD.
DEFENSIVE MVP: MLB Lewis Jones
He has 68 tackles, 23 knockdowns (10th), 1 interception and a 33.3 catch allowed percentage on 84 passes defended.
NEW ENGLANDThey started the season losing their first 5 games before bouncing back with 2 wins in their next 3 games to improve to 2-6. They have lost 3 straight to start the 2nd half to fall to 2-9 but 3 of their loses are by 6 points or less. They visited Montana in week 12 where they were mauled by the Grizzlies 46-3. They visit Orlando (3-9) in week 13 for a game with draft positioning implications.
OFFENSIVE MVP: WR Richard Bohm
He leads the team in rushing (559 yards) and has 3 rushing TDs while averaging 5.0 yards per rush. He has added another 139 yards receiving and 1 TD reception.
DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Jean Davis
He has 67 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 20 knockdowns, 5 interceptions (9th) and a 52.5 catch allowed percentage on 99 (4th) passes defended.
NORTHCincinnati still holds a 1 game lead over Toronto, 2 game lead over Pittsburgh & 3 game lead over Houston. Cincinnati has swept Pittsburgh, split with Toronto but lost the first matchup with Houston with the rematch with Houston in week 15. Toronto has split with Pittsburgh and won the 1st game with Houston with the rematch in week 14. Pittsburgh won the first game with Houston with the rematch in week 13. So Houston is in 4th place and 3 games behind Cincinnati but they play all 3 teams ahead of them the next 3 weeks and if they run the table, they have a chance!
Cincinnati 8-4 (3-2)
Toronto 7-5 (3-2)
Pittsburgh 6-6 (2-3)
Houston 5-7 (1-2)
HOUSTONThey started the season strong winning their first 3 games all by double digits before losing their next 4 games to fall to 3-4. They did rebound winning 2 of their next 3 games before losing at Indiana in week 11 to fall back under .500 at 5-6. It didnt get any easier for the Roughnecks in week 12 as they traveled to Atlanta where they were put in a compromising position losing 69-0. They begin a gauntlet in week 13 at Pittsburgh where they play three straight against all 3 division rivals and they need to win all 3 before ending the season at Buffalo. It's a tough stretch but the defending Conference Champs are capable of winning out.
OFFENSIVE MVP: WR Andre Maker
He is 4th in the league in rushing (895 yards) and has added another 648 yards receiving. He is also 8th in the league in Total yards (1,543) and has 7 combined TDs.
DEFENSIVE MVP: WLB Joel Dobson
He is 3rd in the league in tackles (106) while he leads the league in forced fumbles (5) while adding 1 sack, 1 hurry, 8 knockdowns, 4 interceptions and a 50.0 catch allowed percentage on 40 passes defended.
CINCINNATIThey started the season winning their first 2 games both versus Division opponents before dropping 2 of their next 3 games to wind up 3-2. They then won 4 straight games and 5 of their last 6 games to take 1st place in the North. They traveled to Toronto in week 12 where they lost 27-11 to split the season series as they lead in the Division shrung to just 1 game over Toronto. They travel to KC (7-4-1) in week 13 for a matchup of postseason hopefuls that both need to win.
OFFENSIVE MVP: QB Leonard Thompson/WR Julio Hamilton (R)
Cincinnati traded QB Remy Beaucamp, the #1 overall pick in 2043, in the off-season as the team had become frustrated with his lack of consistency. They turned the offense over to 16 year veteran QB Leonard Thompson and he has rewarded them by being 4th in passing (3,724 yards) and 3rd in TD passes (37). Rookie WR Hamilton has helped QB Thompson by leading the team in rushing (606 yards) & receiving (1,013 yards) and has 9 combined TDs.
DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Jonathon Snyder
He has 54 tackles, 22 knockdowns (10), 2 interceptions and a 50.6 catch allowed percentage on 77 passes defended.
TORONTOThey started the season alternating wins and loses to wind up 3-3 before winning 3 straight to improve to 6-3. They have lost their last 2 games and welcomed in Cincinnati in week 12 for a "must win" division rematch from week 2 where they lost to Cincy 42-10 on the road. Toronto won the rematch 27-11 to split the season series and pull within 1 game of 1st place Cincinnati. They host Oakland (2-9) in week 13 while becoming huge fans of the Chaos who host Cincinnati in week 13.
OFFENSIVE MVP: WR Daniel Bailey
He is 2nd on the team in rushing (407 yards) and leads the team in receiving (581 yards) & Total yards (1,465) while having 4 combined TDs.
DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Kevin Morales
He has 51 tackles, 22 knockdowns, 3 interceptions and a 42.7 catch allowed percentage on 75 passes defended.
PITTSBURGHThey started the season losing 2 of their first 3 games before winning 3 straight games to improve to 4-2. They lost their next 2 games and 4 of their last 5 games to fall to 5-6. They traveled to Tampa Bay in week 12 in a battle between teams just on the outside of the playoffs looking in and won 30-14 to keep their postseason dreams alive. They host Houston (5-7) in week 13 in a division showdown where the loser may essentially be eliminated from postseason contention.
OFFENSIVE MVP: RB James Langham
He leads the team in rushing (511 yards) and 4th on the team in receiving (311 yards) while leading the team in Total yards (822 yards).
DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Nathan Morrison
He has 54 tackles, 15 knockdowns, 6 interceptions (7th) and a 48.8 catch allowed percentage on 86 passes defended.
SOUTHDakota has already won the South crown for the 25th time in francise history while making the postseason for an XFL record 30th straight season. The other 3 teams have all been eliminated from the postseason. It marks the first time since 2039 where at least 2 teams in the South didnt have a .500 record or better.
Dakota 10-2 (5-0)
Orlando 3-9 (2-2)
Daytona 3-9 (1-3)
Texas 1-11 (1-4)
DAKOTAThey started the season winning their first 8 games with 4 of those games decided by 1 score or less including 1 overtime win. They hosted Providence in week 9 and got blown out 31-7 before winning their last 2 games. They traveled to Washington in week 12 and lost a nailbiter 29-25. In fact, Dakota is just 2-2 versus teams with winning records and have played 6 games where the game was decided by 1 score or less. Despite already clinching their division and being alive for the bye in the AXC, the Blizzard feel like a team that will get exposed in the playoffs when the level of competition rises.
OFFENSIVE MVP: WR Ronald Moody
He leads the team in receptions (63), receiving (955 yards) and TD receptions (10).
DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Carlos Hess
He is 4th in the league in tackles (96) and has 5 sacks, 8 hurries & 1 forced fumble.
DAYTONAThey started the season losing their first 2 games before winning 2 of their next 3 games to improve to 2-3. They would lose their next 4 straight games before getting their 3rd win in week 10. They lost in Miami in week 11 before heading to Oakland in week 12 and losing 17-6. They travel to Dakota (10-2) in week 13 to face a team they have beaten just once in 30 years.
OFFENSIVE MVP: RB Robert Colunga
He leads the team in rushing (467 yards), is 3rd in receiving (257 yards) while leading the team in Total yards (1,165 yards) & Total TDs (3).
DEFENSIVE MVP: MLB Vernon Wilson
He has 56 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 12 knockdowns, 4 interceptions and a 54.8 catch allowed percentage on 62 passes defended.
TEXASThey started the season losing their first 8 games before beating Daytona in week 9 by a score of 13-9. They lost their next 2 games before hosting Brooklyn in week 12 where lost their 3rd straight 13-3. They visit the city of brotherly love in week 13 to play Philadelphia (7-5).
OFFENSIVE MVP: RB Christopher Hofmesiter
He leads the team in rushing (371 yards) and is 3rd in receiving (261 yards) but has just 1 combined TD.
DEFENSIVE MVP: RDE Michael Eubanks
He is 5th in the league in sacks (14) while adding 38 tackles and 4 hurries.
ORLANDOThey started the season losing their first 3 games before seemingly rebounding with 2 wins over their next 3 games to improve to 2-4. They lost their next 5 games before visiting Miami in week 12 and winning 10-6. They come home to host New England (2-10) where they look to win back.to back games for the first time this season.
OFFENSIVE MVP: WR Robert Woods
He leads the team in receptions (39), receiving (449 yards) and TD receptions (3).
DEFENSIVE MVP: CB Robert Bauer
He has 63 tackles, 15 knockdowns, 4 interceptions and a 50.6 catch allowed percentage on 78 passes defended.
