We’ve made it to the Divisional Round in the 2018 TSFL Playoffs, arguably the best weekend in the NFL season. By now, all the pretenders have been weeded out leaving only serious championship contenders to fight for the Lombardi. Every team is only 2 wins away from a Super Bowl birth and 3 wins from making history and being enshrined in the TSFL record books forever.
Let’s get to pickin’!
Washington Redskins vs. San Francisco 49ers
In our first matchup, we have wildcard round winner and NFC East Champion Washington Redskins (11-5) traveling to the west coast to take on the #2 seed and NFC West Champion, San Francisco 49ers (13-3). The 49ers have been extremely impressive so far this season especially considering where they were just a few short years ago with a pathetic roster and an inept coaching staff. To the current players and new Head Coach MarkyG, however, that seems like lifetimes ago as they are now wielding a top notch defense (2nd) and high-powered offense (9th) coming into the Playoffs. On the offensive side of the ball, the 49ers look to the run game to carry most of load. Third year running back out of San Jose St., Tyler Ervin, had a breakout regular-season accumulating 1,974 rushing yards as well as 16 touchdowns on his way to winning the MVP award. He will look to continue his impressive 2018 campaign under the bright lights of the TSFL Playoffs. In the passing game, second year quarterback Mike Stapleton has had a fairly productive year. He’s not the type of quarterback to sling it 50 times a game, but when he does throw it, he’s efficient and most importantly, he doesn’t turn it over. With 20 touchdown passes and only 7 interceptions he has one of the best TD/INT ratios in the league. Having three potential Hall-of-Famers catching passes has really helped Stapleton function at a high level. Wide receivers Allen Robinson (12 TD), AJ Green (5 TD), and Jordy Nelson (1TD) are tough pass-catchers that aren’t afraid to go up and catch the ball in traffic. The 2nd best defense in the league has stymied opposing offenses all season long. Allowing only 11 points (2nd) and 233 yards (2nd) per game, they’ve only given up 30 or more points once this season. The secondary has been playing well above their potential, a testament to the coaching staff and a front seven that is able to consistently generate pressure.
The Redskins come into this week after a defensive battle with the Tamp Bay Buccaneers in which they narrowly escaped, 13-3. The defense looked very impressive, holding the Bucs to only 89 passing yards and 49 rushing yards. QB Jeffrey Colvin struggled passing for only 151 yards with one interception and no touchdowns, but Keith Marshall was able to find some space and move the chains rushing for 111 yards on 16 carries. The defense was able to get constant pressure on Jameis Winston, sacking him 7 times and forcing 3 turnovers. They will need a similar performance against the 49ers in order for them to advance to the Conference Championship.
This one is shaping up to be a defensive battle. Both teams’ defenses are playing at an extremely high level. One or two big plays for either team could easily make the difference in this potentially low scoring game. Some question whether or not the 49ers are battle tested as they haven’t faced many playoff caliber teams this season, going 2-2 in such contests. The redskins are poised to recalibrate their high octane offense to take advantage of an over-achieving 49er secondary, but I think the front seven will get enough pressure to prevent it. The 49ers are able to make just enough plays to hold off the Redskins at Levi’s Stadium and advance to the NFC Championship game for the first time in TSFL17. My Pick:
San Francisco – 20 Washington – 13
Other games TBD…..
Alright guys, it’s that time of the year again…PLAYOFFS! After completing the third regular season of TSFL 17 (and ninth regular season overall) the playoff brackets are set, and teams are looking to fulfill their dreams of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Will we see a familiar face lifting that trophy this year, or will we see a new contender rise up and stake their claim as the TSFL Champion?
Before we move on to the predictions, I just wanted to take a minute and thank you all for your time and commitment to TSFL. A 32-man league requires a certain amount of dedication by everyone, not just the Commissioners and the Admin team. Every single member in this league contributes to its’ success and allows for us to have this awesome community of people across the world. So with that being said, THANK YOU.
Now, onto the picks!
Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
In our first matchup, we’ve got two divisional rivals squaring off against each other for the third time this season. The two teams split their previous matchups, with the road team surprisingly winning each game. The Division Champ, Pittsburgh (12-4), rolls into this game on a 4-game winning streak and their aerial attack has seemingly found its groove. The league’s #1 offense is led by Big Ben, who leads the league in passing yards and second in passing touchdowns. Look for him to connect with his favorite target and the league’s top receiver this season, Martavis Bryant, early and often. With a middle-of-the-pack rushing attack, look for them to rely on the passing game to move the chains.
While Pittsburgh may have a mediocre rushing attack, Cleveland (10-6) finds themselves near the bottom in terms of yards rushing this season. In fact, they are ranked 22nd or lower in every major offensive category. Second year QB Chase Stapleton, has the league’s 4th most interceptions this season, so he will need to limit those costly mistakes in order for the Browns to escape Pittsburgh with a win. The Browns formula for winning originates on the defensive side of the ball, where they rank 7th in rushing yards allowed. They look to stuff the run game and force their opponents into passing situations where can unleash the Booty-Gumbs tandem. Defensive Ends Diamond Gumbs (21 Sacks) and Immanual Booty (14 Sacks) are a force on the edge and can wreak havoc on a quarterback if he doesn’t get rid of the ball quickly.
On paper, this one seems to be very one sided in favor of Pittsburgh, but don’t forget, Cleveland came onto Heinz field earlier this season and walked off as winners, so don’t count them out just yet. Cleveland feels they don’t receive the respect they deserve. A win here would force respect from those critics. However, I feel that Pittsburgh offense is too high powered and Cleveland won’t be able to keep up the pace in this one. My Pick:
Pittsburgh – 35 Cleveland – 17
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Washington Redskins
In our second matchup, Tampa Bay travels to Washington. The Buccaneers look to avenge a 27-9 week 16 loss at home to the Redskins. Washington (11-5) led by second year quarterback, Jeffrey Colvin, is another high octane offense. Colvin has been very successful so far this season passing for over 4,500 yards and 42 touchdowns, while only throwing 13 interceptions. The most valuable aspect of his game to me, however, is his ability to distribute the ball to all of the playmakers he has around him. 5 players have 5 or more receiving touchdowns this season for the Redskins, something not many other teams can say. WR Josh Doctson and TE Jordan Reed are Colvin’s top targets and I expect them to be heavily involved against Tampa. The Redskins seem to lack a viable run game with their top back, Keith Marshall, barely amassing 1,000 yards on the season and averaging a measly 3.7 yards per carry. The Redskin defense is a typical bend-but-don’t-break defense as they are ranked 26th in yards allowed per game, but 8th in points allowed per game. When the Redskins force turnovers, they often turn it directly into points, as they have scored 12 touchdowns themselves.
After a coaching change midseason, the Buccaneers (11-5) will come into Washington with some confidence. Winners of 10 out of their last 11 games, the Buccaneers are rolling. That lone loss, however, came at the hands of these Washington Redskins. The Buccaneers don’t stand out in any one particular statistical category, but it’s hard to fault the current coaching staff as they took over about midway through the season. Jameis Winston comes into the game with a subpar 55% completion percentage and as many interceptions as he has touchdowns (29). He will need one of his best games of the season if the Bucs are going to take down the Redskins. The Bucs defense on the other hand, has more than enough talent and firepower to match up with the Redskins. The defensive line duo of Gerald McCoy (19 Sacks) and Robert Ayers (16 Sacks) can force any offense into making bad decisions, which helps guys like Aaron Williams (7 Int), Vernon Hargreaves (5 Int), and Josh Norman (4 Int) make plays on the ball.
The Redskins have shown thus far, that they are able to beat playoff caliber teams, including Seattle, Minnesota, Houston, and the Buccaneers themselves. Tampa on the other hand has not had many opportunities against top competition, but when they have, they’ve struggled. I think the Redskins come out on top, but the Bucs are able to keep it close. My Pick:
Washington – 24 Tampa Bay – 17
Seattle Seahawks vs. Minnesota Vikings
Next up we have the Seattle Seahawks visiting the Minnesota Vikings in a matchup of two original TSFLers. The Minnesota Vikings (10-6) are as well-rounded as they come in TSFL, sporting a top 5 offense (4th) and defense (5th) this season. Teddy Bridgewater had a good regular season throwing for 4,700 yards and 26 tds with a 64.6% completion percentage. He did add 26 interceptions so he has proven to be turnover prone running the Chip Kelly-esque spread offense that Minnesota utilizes. Minnesota loves to get speedy halfback Jerrick McKinnon in space where he is most dangerous. He has been productive this year while splitting carries with an aging Adrian Peterson, but he will look to shine in a tough matchup with Seattle. Bridgewater will have a pair of 1000-yard receivers to throw to in Dezmin Lewis and Jewone Battles. If the formula for success is to generate pressure and force turnovers, then the Vikings are in good hands. Defensive Ends Danielle Hunter (15 Sacks) and Everson Griffin (17 Sacks) are some of the league’s best pass rushers and will have Russell Wilson panicking on nearly every snap. That pressure has helped the Vikings defense intercept 28 opposing quarterbacks passes. The Vikings have also returned an amazing 19 turnovers for touchdowns. That may be more touchdowns than Alex’s entire offense this season.
TSFL17 Season 1 Super Bowl Champions find themselves in unfamiliar territory as a wildcard. After starting the season 3-3, they’ve finished strong at 12-4, but it wasn’t enough to take home the division this year. They will travel to Minnesota where they lost 33-27 in week 5. While most teams look to pass first in most occasions, Seattle is a team that loves to run the ball. Thomas Rawls and CJ Prosise have totaled 1,698 yards and 14 touchdowns to give Seattle the 6th best rushing attack this season. Quarterback Russell Wilson has thrown for 4,035 yards and 25 touchdowns. They tend to keep their passes short and take what the defense gives them to lull opponents to sleep. Then they strike with the speedy Will Fuller on the edge or the monster Tight End Jimmy Graham over the middle. The other side of the ball is where Seattle earns its dominant reputation. The defense is consistently one of the best in the league year in and year out, and this year is no exception. Seattle allows the 8th fewest yards per game and 5th fewest points per game and has only allowed 30 or more points in a game once this season.
While Minnesota will have homefield and a victory this season over these same Seattle Seahawks, it’s still not enough to persuade me from picking the Hawks in the playoffs. Defense wins championships will hold true in this one. My Pick:
Minnesota - 10 Seattle - 28