Wednesday, November 18, 2020

XII: Week Ten Recap

After a silent deadline and a low octane week ten (only two teams surpassed 200 points) we have double digit games under our belt and we've pared down to four* groups of teams:

At 7-3, the contenders: New Jersey, HCM City, and Hill Valley have all but assured themselves playoff spots, but have three weeks to figure out their seeding- winning out will secure one of the two byes in the first round. The Sanitation Crew play the McFlys and Lead Farmers (respectively) in the final two weeks of the season, so in many ways they hold the keys here.

At 6-4, the challengers: Mar-A-Lago, Phoenix, and Manitoba have all taken different routes to this point. The Grabbers are the league's point leader but lost in weeks 5, 6, and 7 despite putting up 212, 222, and 227 over that span. They've bounced back and are the team nobody wants to face right now- ask the previously top seeded McFlys, who were humbled this past week. The Uprising have reeled off five straight wins on their path back to relevancy, having missed the XI playoffs after nine straight years of finishing on the medal stand. The Moose Crew have backed into this position, winning six straight to start the year but now suffering a woebegone month long losing streak. All three control their own destinies, but here it is Manitoba that sees both of the weight class' contenders.

At 5-5, the underdogs: Ohio, Binghamton, and Pawnee will need help to get into the dance this year. All three have been recent post-season contestants, with the Tommy Boys cracking the top 6 in 2019, the Snipers in 2018 and 2017, and the Pride hitting the premier bracket in four of the past five years. Ohio and Binghamton will matchup in the final week, potentially with playoff implications on the line; The defending champs will need to win out against Carmel, Deputy, and Hill Valley to have a shot, considering their puny (12th ranked) point total to date.

Before we get to the Also-Rans, there is a plausible Cinderella Story in South Park; The Cows are 4-6 but second in overall points. Winning out could give them a tiebreak berth via the #6 seed, but the margin for error is slim. Their first task will be to drop the streaking Phoenix squad, then mop up Binghamton and Carmel in the final two weeks. Only a fool would prematurely count the LBVII champs out of the running.

The darkest possible horse is in Deputy, where the Van Halens would need to win out while scoring at a prodigious pace to get a 7-6 tiebreak bid. It's a longshot, but not a mathematical impossibility. However, back-to-back outputs under 160 throw some cold water on their ability to jump into the race now.

Savannah, now losers of three straight, push their playoff drought to three straight years. The Rum Ham played spoiler to Deputy, but besides a sterling week two performance against current #1 seed Jersey, Philly might as well be dead; they have not been to the playoffs in eight years, before Saskatoon, when they were known as the Atlanta Rage back in 2012. Carmel won't face relegation this year, but having only broken the 200 point mark once this season (a loss to HCM in week 7) they'll be back to the drawing board in 2021; Making a run in the consolation bracket could yield a better fate in XIII.

RESULTS

Week 10 Matchups

 

POWER OUTPUT - OFFENSIVE VALUE PICK EDITION

  1. OTB 233: WR JUSTIN JEFFERSON (8TH ROUND PICK)
  2. JSC 209: QB KYLER MURRAY (6TH ROUND PICK)
  3. BIN 195: RB KAREEM HUNT (7TH ROUND PICK)
  4. PHX 192: WR TEE HIGGINS (23RD ROUND PICK)
  5. SPC 190: WR CEEDEE LAMB (9TH ROUND PICK)
  6. PAW 186: WR CHASE CLAYPOOL (20TH ROUND PICK)
  7. MAL 181: WR CHRISTIAN KIRK (8TH ROUND PICK)
  8. HCM 181: QB JOSH ALLEN (7TH ROUND PICK)
  9. SAV 180: QB RYAN TANNEHILL (UNDRAFTED)
  10. MMC 166: RB ANTONIO GIBSON (10TH ROUND PICK)
  11. PRH 166: WR COREY DAVIS (21ST ROUND PICK)
  12. CRT 165: RB JAMES ROBINSON (UNDRAFTED)
  13. DVH 160: RB NYHEIM HINES (19TH ROUND PICK)
  14. HVM 114: TE ROBERT TONYAN (23RD ROUND PICK)

TEAM OF THE WEEK

  • QB TOM BRADY (33.04) - PAW
  • RB ALVIN KAMARA (32.20) - BIN
  • WR M. VALDES-SCANTLING (28.60) - BIN
  • TE ROB GRONKOWSKI (14.70) - SAV
  • DL MYLES GARRETT (14.50) - SAV
  • LB DEMARIO DAVIS (29.00) - JSC
  • CB TARON JOHNSON (24.50) - SAV
  • SS JAMAL ADAMS (24.50) - OTB
  • PK MATT PRATER (16.00) - DVH

UPCOMING MATCHUPS

A couple of premier matchups on the docket: Mar-A-Lago could put themselves in position to claim a top seed if they knock off HCM City this week, while the Lead Farmers assert their own positioning with the inverse. Manitoba has to face Ohio in a battle of backsliding squads; The Tommy Boys may be off the schneid after a big week ten. South Park's results do not match their production, but now they have to put up or shut up against the surging Uprising.

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