S9 Playoff Picture (EASTERN CONFERENCE)

by Pricardo Bellamy

We finished up Week 11 and as promised, we have to take a look at the other side as the East provides the bulk of the drama as now we have it where ALL three playoff spots are up for grabs and no one is safe as there is five teams in the mix but only three of them can make it to the final dance. The New York Mafia has appeared to find their stride but they'll have to take their newfound momentum into the next season as they are now mathematically removed from playoff contention so that leaves the remaining teams to duel it out.

Lets start off with the team currently in the #1 spot and that is the...

CHARLOTTE ROYALS

This team is one of the frontrunners to make it to the United Bowl for the second straight season. It didn't look that way with their latest loss to the undefeated Huntington Beach Voyagers but don't let that fool you. The Royals are made to put points up in bunches and their defense is still in the top half talent wise and statistically.

Looking at their remaining portion of their schedule, they have St. Louis, Toronto & New York. On the face, its fairly favorable to close out the season with at least two more wins but as you know, no game is guaranteed.

Hank Falco needs to continue building up while his weapons need to keep doing what they do. Doc Boone, Kai Kohko & Vic Dotson headline the three headed monster that majority of teams can't contain but is their ceiling destined to be stuck at the Silver Medal for a second straight season? Only time will tell..

That being said, the #1 seed is up for grabs so they'll need to be careful or they'll have to lose that spot to the..

TAMPA BAY TYPHOON

Tampa has been a team that has been quietly hanging around the top of the Eastern Conference and they've shown up with one of the bigger win streaks leaguewide. They came off of a tough victory against the Arizona Rattlers and now they end up with a tied record with the Royals. Tiebreakers got the Typhoon sitting pretty but with a schedule that can open up a few more wins, they can very well end the season with the HFA through the conference.

Tampa has the Mafia, Roughnecks & Battalion left on the schedule. In most cases, you can say that Tampa has the ability to sweep the rest of the way towards the playoffs. On the other side of the coin, the Mafia has intentions to play spoiler as they prep for the draft, Pittsburgh has a high powered team that doesn't want to get eliminated and the Battalion is coming out the gates with their biggest win streak in team history and they've been in the zone since Week Eight.

Good news for Tampa is that they have a load of talent on both sides of the field. Offensively, James West continues to impress through the air and on the ground, the WR group led by Elijah Nigma and Earl "The Pearl" Flynt, HB Tom Edwards and TE Travis Vaughan presents a lot of mismatches for opposing teams. 

Going to be an interesting ride as both Charlotte and Tampa Bay appear to be locks for the playoffs but after this team, it gets a little dicey.

NEW JERSEY BATTALION

The team currently in the #3 seed is one of our latest teams to join the league and majority of the people thought that NJ would be pushing for the best chance to get the #1 seed but hey, look at the homies at East Rutherford! They've set their best football for last and winning five out of their last six games is very very impressive to say the least.

If they play their cards right, they have a shot to potentially go for the #2 seed. The Battalion have the Wraiths, Dragons & will close out with the team currently ahead of them in the East Standings, AKA the Typhoon. With how they've been playing, going 3-0 is not out of the equation and if they do, along with a loss or two for Tampa, they can host a playoff game this season.

Rookie QB Zaire Augustus has been a star with passes like you see in the image above, he's been using that rocket to get New Jersey to the moon. TE Darren Guadiana has been a standout along with their main trio of WRs. Do-It-All Drew Stowe, Route Runner Ryan Bandy & Speedster Zachariah Branch has been a fun set of rookies to watch all season long and they're only gonna get better so I'll be watching them progress and I recommend every team in this article does the same.



PITTSBURGH ROUGHNECKS


Pittsburgh came into this year rated very high and seeing where they currently are (not in a playoff spot), you can't help but think that they've underachieved for what was thought to happen for them. That being said, its not over for them. They have a chance to get it done and sneak their way in. Pittsburgh has been in the league for a while and they have got zero playoff berths. They can change that starting now but they don't exactly control their own destiny.

They need losses from New Jersey and the Roughnecks also have to make their way through the Rattlers, Typhoon & the Wraiths. Not the easiest of schedules but manageable. The offense will have to step up full force. We seen a bit of that when they played against the Royals two weeks ago but just this past week, the Mafia secured the six point upset so they need to reclaim that offense we expect from them.

QB Money Mills needs to hit the ATM but having a team loaded in WR talent with Ronnie Shanahan Jr., Anthony Stank, Guy Clawson & Blake Grant, it can be a very fruitful attempt to get back in their good graces. Defensively, CB Big Haus III, LB Austin Wheeler, DT Jerry Filbin and FS Angel Flugel are the standouts and they'll need to make more plays to make this last ditch effort for their first playoff berth happen. I believe in them but they'll need to believe harder.


TORONTO WRAITHS


We wrap up this article with the team still looking to make their way up the ranks, the Wraiths are still in position for a late push but will need the most help in comparison to the rest of the teams. Toronto still has a heap of talent on both sides of the ball and can run with most teams just from a defensive standpoint and their offense isn't a slouch either.

The remaining schedule has Toronto facing the red hot Battalion, a pissed off Royals squad and a juggernaut of talent in the Roughnecks. On paper, it doesn't spell a pretty picture for the Wraiths and they HAVE to win out to give themselves a chance to make the playoffs. Even if they do, its not a guarantee but overall you can't be mad at the season Toronto has had.

QB Jim Carr has been up and down since leaving Pittsburgh but has given them plenty of hope going forward. HB Auston Wilson has been a top four HB all year long, WRs Phoenix Jones and Darren Eliason has been studs for them in recent weeks, Darren more throughout the entire season. Dusty Rooks at TE hasn't been a slouch either. Their bread and butter relies on their defense though as DE Andre Krimm, LBs Yogi Barr and Dexter Hall has been the cornerstones for what appears to be a great core to live off of.

I'd probably put their chances of making the playoffs below 25% but still doable. Just know that the games have a lot at stake and one loss can have our Canadian brothers shooting for the draft lottery.