Coach K: A Finn's-eye View of the Second
Half
Well boys and girls, Coach K is finally off
the streets and living the life of
the high-roller at the Mohegan Sun Casino in beautiful Uncasville, CT. Sure my
FFL picks havent come through, but the dice have been good to me lately and Im
lettin' it ride. We are down to the last 6 weeks of the regular season now,
putting us over the midseason hump. I don't think anyone expected some of the
weird stuff we have seen this season. A little bit of recap:
The Challengers are 7-1. Just let that sink in. The most consistently
lackluster team in the FFL has shocked everyone with their play so far, as
Jerome Bettis and Garrison Hearst have provided improbably superior seasons.
Only 4 teams have winning records. Besides Charleston, it's just New York,
Miami and Montana at 5-3. That means the South probably only needs 3 wins in
the last 6 to guarantee them a first-round bye.
Everyone is still in the race. People will make the case that Atlanta can
start getting their draft board together with that 2-6 record theyve got, but
if they can start winning it might only take a 7-7 record to make the playoffs.
So with all of these teams bunched up and duking it out for playoff spots,
something has to give, and it is quite possible that the playoff teams will be
determined by the strength of each team's schedule down the home stretch.
Here's a look at what each team faces in the coming weeks:
Charleston Challengers:
Week 9: Black Sox
Week 10: at Predators
Week 11: at Thunder
Week 12: Z-Force
Week 13: Conquistadors
Week 14: Syndromes
Strength of Schedule: .458 (3rd easiest)
All the rowdy rednecks are starting to feel that this might
finally be the year
Charleston wins it all. And there is good reason for Chris Bransfield to get a
little cocky. His team has a cake schedule and plays its final three games at
home, where they are unbeaten this season. In addition, the Challengers two-
game lead over everyone else means they are almost assured of a first-round bye
in the playoffs. More good news: Charleston just traded for power runner
Ricky Williams. The bad news: Jerome Bettis and Garrison Hearst are both
hurting.
Coach K's call: FFL East Champ, playoff bye week
New York Z-Force:
Week 9: Blockers
Week 10: at Blazers
Week 11: Syndromes
Week 12: at Challengers
Week 13: Tsunamis
Week 14: Thunder
Strength of Schedule: .542 (tied for 2nd hardest)
If the playoffs started tomorrow, New York would have the second best record in
the league by virtue of their recent win over Miami. Still, the road ahead is
a tough one. The Z-Force will face tough road games in the freezing cold of
Montana and the humidity of Charleston. In addition, New York will be pushed
by the young Syndromes and the improving Thunder in critical divisional match-
ups.
Coach K's call: They're in, but they'll finish behind the Thunder.
Montana Blazers:
Week 9: Miracles
Week 10: Z-Force
Week 11: at Tsunamis
Week 12: Knights
Week 13: at Black Sox
Week 14: at Conquistadors
Strength of Schedule: .479 (tied for 4th easiest)
The real test for Nick Surowiecki's team may come in the next two weeks, when
Montana faces fellow 5-3 teams Miami and New York. Priest Holmes will sit out
the Miami game in the hopes of being fresh for the divisional rivalry games.
If they can take one of those first two games the rest of the schedule looks
fairly light.
Coach K's call: FFL West Champ, playoff bye week
Miami Miracles:
Week 9: at Blazers
Week 10: Tsunamis
Week 11: at Blockers
Week 12: Predators
Week 13: at Syndromes
Week 14: at Black Sox
Strength of Schedule: .438 (2nd easiest)
The Miracles have been notorious for choking in the second half of the season.
This year they might end up following the opposite pattern, if only because of
a stretch of floundering opponents after their Week 9 match-up with Montana.
Miami is 4-1 since a pathetic 10-2 loss to Charleston on Week 3.
Coach Ks call: FFL Central
Champ, top spot on wild card week
Boston Thunder:
Week 9: at Tsunamis
Week 10: at Conquistadors
Week 11: Challengers
Week 12: at Syndromes
Week 13: Predators
Week 14: at Z-Force
Strength of Schedule: .500 (6th easiest)
After winning three in a row, Boston had their streak snapped by the Z-Force.
Boston will have its opportunity for revenge on the final week, and the game
could decide which of the two opponents packs for a playoff game and which
packs for Pebble Beach. Boston will get some relief with some mediocre
opponents from outside their division, but they'll need Ahman Green and Jeff
Garcia to keep going strong against Charleston, Middletown, and New York if
they plan on repeating. Still, this team hasn't missed the playoffs in a
longgg time.
Coach K's call: Boston's in the playoffs
Chicago Black Sox:
Week 9: at Challengers
Week 10: Knights
Week 11: at Predators
Week 12: Blockers
Week 13: Blazers
Week 14: Miracles
Strength of Schedule: .521 (tied for 5th hardest)
Chicago now finds themselves in second place in the Central, though still in a
position to make the playoffs. They'll get a chance to play Dallas and Kansas
City at home and another game in Atlanta. Unfortunately, those games are
sandwiched in between brutal tilts with Charleston, Montana and Miami. Chicago
will need to win one of these big games if they want to secure a playoff spot,
and it won't be easy with Edgerrin James hobbling.
Coach K's call: The running game runs out of gas and Chicago
misses the playoffs
Middletown Syndromes:
Week 9: Conquistadors
Week 10: at Blockers
Week 11: at Z-Force
Week 12: Thunder
Week 13: Miracles
Week 14: at Challengers
Strength of Schedule: .563 (Hardest)
No one has a tougher road to hoe than Middletown. Their final four games have
them in deep pipparkaku, so don't bet the talo on them making the playoffs.
There are also going to be in dogfights against Phoenix and Kansas City. If the
playoffs started tomorrow, Middletown would be left out in the cold due to
their head-up record with the 4-4 teams. Mike Vick and Randy Moss are still
young, so the future is bright, but it probably isn't going to be this year.
Coach Ks call: Just misses the playoffs
Here's where it gets really hairy. Of the 3-5 teams, the best head-to-head
record is in KC, at 2-0, followed by Dallas at 1-1 and a tie between Phoenix
and Waikiki at 1-2. Phoenix beats out Waikiki by virtue of scoring. But
remember, as new ties arise this scenario will be shot all to hell.
Kansas City Cockblockers:
Week 9: at Z-Force
Week 10: Syndromes
Week 11: Miracles
Week 12: at Black Sox
Week 13: at Knights
Week 14: Predators
Strength of Schedule: .479 (tied for 4th easiest)
Kansas City may be 3-5, but they do have a schedule that works in their favor
somewhat. None of these games are beyond their reach. Still, it seems like
the old KC Magic Show has lost a bit of its luster this year. Aaron Brooks is
still a franchise quarterback, but the supporting cast has been spotty at
times. Coach Leinwand needs his boys to go at least 4-2 to have a realistic
shot, and winning 2 out of the next four games might be too much to ask.
Coach K's call: Brooks
can't carry them in this year.
Dallas Knights:
Week 9: at Predators
Week 10: at Black Sox
Week 11: Conquistadors
Week 12: at Blazers
Week 13: Blockers
Week 14: at Tsunamis
Strength of Schedule: .417 (Easiest)
Other than the Blazers game, the Knights have a chance of pulling out the 4 or
even 5 wins needed to put them in the playoffs. The key for them might be the
Week 10 game against Chicago. The Black Sox have looked vulnerable recently
and Dallas would improve its position immensely with a victory. Still,
Keyshawn is hurting, and Brian Griese has been a nightmare of inconsistency,
meaning the Knights may flirt with losses against teams they should beat.
Coach K's call: The schedule is there,
but they'll also need some help.
Dallas manages to sneak in with a win versus the Tsunamis and a Chicago loss to
Miami.
Phoenix Conquistadors:
Week 9: at Syndromes
Week 10: Thunder
Week 11: at Knights
Week 12: Tsunamis
Week 13: at Challengers
Week 14: Blazers
Strength of Schedule: .542 (tied for 2nd hardest)
Seems that Adam Fleming saw the writing on the wall and decided to start
thinking about the future. Trading Ricky Williams means Phoenix is probably
done for the year, though Deuce McAllister and Kevan Barlow look like
tremendous future franchise backs. Chances for a big second half slim down in
the face of a tough scheduleonly the Tsunamis game looks like a clear winner.
Coach K's call: In two years they'll
be back in the Fantasy Bowl.
Waikiki Tsunamis:
Week 9: Thunder
Week 10: at Miracles
Week 11: Blazers
Week 12: at Conquistadors
Week 13: at Z-Force
Week 14: Knights
Strength of Schedule: .521 (tied for 5th hardest)
Waikiki has played better in recent weeks and Clint Portis deserves much of the
credit. He and Steve McNair are going to be surrounded by talent next year
when Waikiki gets inundated with draft picks. Waikiki may surprise one of the
playoff hopefuls, but it doesn't look like they've got enough left to get there
themselves.
Coach K's call: They'll be home for Christmas.
Atlanta Predators:
Week 9: Knights
Week 10: Challengers
Week 11: Black Sox
Week 12: at Miracles
Week 13: at Thunder
Week 14: at Blockers
Strength of Schedule: .542 (tied for 2nd hardest)
Well, at least Atlanta's final three games are on the road so they don't have
to show their faces in front of Predators fans until next season. Atlanta's
offense has ground to a halt in the last couple of weeks, and things arent
likely to get much better against a schedule full of playoff contenders. One
more loss and Atlanta can safely be written off, even if Buddha himself suited
up for the remaining games.
Coach K's call: Start thinking about who you might take with
that first pick in the draft, Freddie.
Week 9 picks:
Z-Force over the Blockers
Knights over Predators
Thunder over Tsunamis
Challengers over Black Sox
Miracles over Blazers
Syndromes over Conquistadors
