We are just past the midpoint of the season so let's take a look at the playoff picture to see who is in, who is out and who still has a chance.

AXC

1. Buffalo Skull Crushers (9-0)
2. Dakota Blizzard (8-1)

3. KC Chaos (7-2)
4. Pittsburgh Blitzkrieg (5-4)
5. Vancouver Vandals (6-3)
6. New England Crusaders (5-4)

7. Oakland Outlaws (5-4)
8. Michigan Wolverines (4-5)
9. Texas Hold'em (3-6)
10. Toronto Titans (3-6)
11. Miami Nemesis (3-6)
12. Cincinnati Defenders (2-6-1)
13. Houston Roughnecks (2-7)
14. New York Empire (2-7)
15. Denver Extreme (1-8)
16 Daytona Beach Bulls Sharks (1-8)

All 16 teams are with 4 games of a playoff spot with 11 teams within 2 games.

NXC

1. Gem City Gangsters (9-0)
2. Atlanta Dominators (8-1)

3. Providence Islanders (6-3)
4. Vegas Black Aces (6-3)
5. Memphis Maniacs (6-3)
6. Saint Paul Punishers (6-3)

7. Brooklyn Hitmen (6-3)
8. Arizona Wranglers (5-4)
9. Carolina Cobras (5-4)
10. Washington Warriors (5-4)
11. Los Angeles Challengers (5-4)
12. Montana Grizzlies (4-5)
13. Chicago Avengers (4-5)
14. Philadelphia Slayers (1-8)
15. Seattle Barbarians (1-8)
16. Tampa Bay Fireballs (0-8-1)

All 16 teams are within 6 games of a playoff spot but an amazing 13 teams within 2 games if a playoff spot.

The league has 24 teams within 2 games of the 12 playoff spots. The level of competition is at an alltime high.

Honestly I had lost interest in this season and doing anything but after winning 2 consecutive and my dudes only getting more experience and this article, I'm ready to go again. Hold'em!

Dog fight on!

We have reached the 3/4 mark of the season so let's take a look at the playoff picture as compared to the Midway mark.



AXC

1. Buffalo Skull Crushers (11-1) 1st
2. Dakota Blizzard (11-1) 2nd

3. KC Chaos (10-2) 3rd
4. Pittsburgh Blitzkrieg (6-6) 4th
5. Oakland Outlaws (8-4) 7th
6. New England Crusaders (7-5) 6th

7. Vancouver Vandals (6-6) 5th
8. Texas Hold'em (6-6) 9th
9. Miami Nemesis (6-6) 11th
10. Michigan Wolverines (5-7) 8th

We are down to 10 teams within 2 games of a playoff spot. The Denver Extreme, Daytona Beach Bull Sharks and the New York Empire have been elimated.

The Toronto Titans (3-9), Houston Roughnecks (3-9) and Cincinnati Defenders (2-9-1) are all mathematically alive to win the AXC North but Pittsburgh (6-6) would have to basically lose out for that to happen.

The only chance in the top 6 seeds was Oakland swapping with Vancouver to #5 from #7.

NXC

1. Atlanta Dominators (11-1) 2nd
2. Gem City Gangsters (10-2) 1st

3. Providence Islanders (8-3-1) 3rd
4. Vegas Black Aces (8-4) 4th
5. Memphis Maniacs (8-4) 5th
6. Saint Paul Punishers (8-4) 6th

7. Carolina Cobras (7-5) 9th
8. Brooklyn Hitmen (7-5) 7th
9. Arizona Wranglers (6-6) 8th
10. Montana Grizzlies (6-6) 12th
11. Los Angeles Challengers (6-6) 11th
12. Chicago Avengers (5-7) 13th
13. Washington Warriors (5-7) 10th

11 teams are within 2 games of a playoff spot with 2 more teams 3 games out with 4 to play.

The Philadelphia Slayers, Seattle Barbarians and the Tampa Bay Fireballs have been elimated.

The only change in the top 6 seeds was Atlanta and Gem City swapping places at #1 and #2.

The league has 21 teams within 2 games of the 12 playoff spots. 26 of the 32 teams are still alive.

AXC

1. Buffalo Skull Crushers (13-1) 1st
2. Dakota Blizzard (13-1) 2nd

3. KC Chaos (11-3) 3rd
4. Pittsburgh Blitzkrieg (6-8) 4th
5. Oakland Outlaws (10-4) 5th
6. New England Crusaders (8-6) 6th

7. Texas Hold'em (8-6) 8th
8. Vancouver Vandals (8-6) 7th
9. Miami Nemesis (7-7) 9th
10. Houston Roughnecks (5-9) *

We are down to 10 teams within 1 games of a playoff spot.


NXC

1. Gem City Gangsters (12-2) 2nd
2. Atlanta Dominators (12-2) 1st

3. Vegas Black Aces (10-4) 4th
4. Providence Islanders (9-4-1) 3rd
5. Memphis Maniacs (10-4) 5th
6. Brooklyn Hitmen (9-5) 8th

7. Saint Paul Punishers (9-5) 6th
8. Carolina Cobras (8-6) 7th



8 teams are within 1 game of a playoff spot.


The league has 18 teams within 1 game of the 12 playoff spots.

AXC

1. Buffalo Skull Crushers (14-1) 1st
2. Dakota Blizzard (13-2) 2nd

3. KC Chaos (12-3) 3rd
4. Pittsburgh Blitzkrieg (6-9) 4th
5. Oakland Outlaws (11-4) 5th
6. New England Crusaders (9-6) 6th

The 6 playoff spots are locked in and nobody can move up or down the seeding.


NXC

1. Gem City Gangsters (13-2) 1st
2. Atlanta Dominators (13-2) 2nd

3. Vegas Black Aces (11-4) 3rd
4. Brooklyn Hitmen (10-5) 6th
5. Memphis Maniacs (11-4) 5th
6. Providence Islanders (9-5-1) 4th

7. Saint Paul Punishers (9-6) 7th

Gem City needs a win or Atlanta lose to secure the #1 seed.

Atlanta needs a win and Gem City lose to secure the #1 seed. At worst a #2 seed.

Vegas is at least a #4 seed but clinches the #3 with a win or a Brooklyn lose.

Brooklyn needs to win or have Providence lose to secure the #4 seed. A win and Vegas lose would secure the #3 seed. A lose and a Providence win drops them to #6 seed.

Memphis is locked into the #5 seed.

Providence needs a win or a St. Paul lose to secure the #6 seed. A win and a Brooklyn lose would secure them a #4 seed.

St. Paul needs to win and have Providence lose to clinch the #6 seed.

Meaningful Week 16 games....

Memphis @ Brooklyn
Chicago @ Gem City
Carolina @ Providence
Tampa Bay @ Atlanta
St. Paul @ Vegas

The playoff teams are set so let's take a look at the seeding and upcoming Wildcard games.

AXC

1. #1 Buffalo Skull Crushers (15-1)
8th straight playoffs

2. #4 Dakota Blizzard (14-2)
10th straight playoffs

3. #7 Kansas City Chaos (13-3)
1st playoffs

4. #19 Pittsburgh Blitzkrieg (7-9)
8th playoffs 5th straight

5. #5 Oakland Outlaws (12-4)
9th straight playoffs

6. #11 New England Crusaders 10-6)
2nd playoffs 1st in 6 seasons

New England Crusaders
@
Kansas City Chaos

Oakland Outlaws
@
Pittsburgh Blitzkrieg

NXC

1. #2 Gem City Gangsters (14-2)
7th playoffs 6th straight

2. #3 Atlanta Dominators (14-2)
9th straight playoffs

3. #14 Vegas Black Aces (11-5)
3rd straight playoffs

4. #10 Providence Islanders (10-5-1)
3rd playoffs 2nd straight

5. #6 Memphis Maniacs (12-4)
5th playoffs out of last 7 seasons

6. #9 Brooklyn Hitmen (10-6)
5th straight playoffs

Brooklyn Hitmen
@
Vegas Black Aces

Memphis Maniacs
@
Providence Islanders

Wildcard recap

Three of the four road teams won in what turned out to be a competitive round of the playoffs.

AXC

#11 New England Crusaders 13
@
#7 Kansas City Chaos 12

Kansas City controlled this game for just over three quarters but had to settle for 4 fieldgoals instead of touchdowns as they took a 12-3 lead early in the 4th quarter. New England managed just 121 yards of total offense but turned a costly 4th quarter interception by KC into the only TD of the game cutting the score to 12-10. New England managed a 9 play 40 yard drive which resulted in a 53 yard fieldgoal to take the lead with 53 seconds remaining. KC managed to move the ball to New Englands 25 yard line but time expired before they could attempt a game winning fieldgoal attempt.

#5 Oakland Outlaws 10
@
#19 Pittsburgh Blitzkrieg 7

In a defensive battle where neither team had much success on offense for most of the game due to stingy defense and turnovers. Oakland trailed 7-3 in the 4th quarter when they went on a 9 play 74 yard drive that consumed 5:21 and resulted in the game winning TD.

NXC

#9 Brooklyn Hitmen 16
@
#14 Vegas Black Aces 32

Brooklyn led this game 16-6 early in the 3rd quarter before some questionable coaching decisions led to 6 consecutive turnovers including 4 turnover on downs on the wrong side of the 50 yard line. Vegas ran off 26 straight points as Brooklyn imploded.

#6 Memphis Maniacs 27
@
#10 Providence Islanders 26

In a close game, Providence pulled out to a 26-17 lead with just 2:57 remaining in the game. Memphis went on a 8 play 75 yard touchdown drive that only took 1:09 off the clock. Providence took over at their own 46 with 1:44 left in the game and after running the ball on 1st down threw an incomplete pass on 2nd down followed by an interception on 3rd down. Memphis moved the ball into fieldgoal range and hit it to take the lead and the game.

Divional Round Preview

AXC

#11 New England Crusaders
@
#1 Buffalo Skull Crushers (-12)

#5 Oakland Outlaws
@
#4 Dakota Outlaws (-4)

NXC

#6 Memphis Maniacs
@
#2 Gem City Gangsters (-8)

#14 Vegas Black Aces
@
#3 Atlanta Dominators (E)

Not much I could do to stop the punt blocks.

Ah....makes more sense now. I dont watch the games...I just go off the stats page for the most part. It says you turned the ball over on downs but I guess they were punt blocks.

Crappy way to lose a close game and I guess some enjoy winning that way. To me it's kinda stupid but not match I can do about it until they fix it.