WHO'S IN? WHO'S OUT?
Who's missed the playoffs about.
Week Fifteen in the Subsim Fantasy Football League.
It's the end of the regular season. We've trudged our way through fifteen of the most grueling make believe shenanigans to finally arrive at the end of the regular season. Some teams will make make it. Some teams might make it. Some teams should have made it. And someone is going to regret not making it.
Who are they? Let's find out after this important message.
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Let's start at the bottom of the ladder where the Black cats had a firm grip on the #8 seed. They welcomed the Drunk Monkeys to North Carolina in a match that meant nothing to the Cats, but meant everything for the Monkeys. Monkeys were facing the long shot prospect of making the finals and had to win - and win big. They were helped out by Coach FYC resting two of his starters for the game, including their starter Kyler Murray (QB). This gave the Monkeys an opportunity to fly through the tree branches. Justin Jefferson (WR) was the biggest branch swinger for the Monkeys leaving them with a sizeable lead. When the Cats forwards of Tampa Bay (DEF) choked and the Monkeys played the Broncos (DEF) for 10 points, it was not only a wild win for the Monkeys, but a gap of size for them. With the first obstacle down the Monkeys had to wait out the remainder of two games before they knew where their final seeding position would be. Drunk Monkeys on the road thieve this one from the Black Cats 138-77.
In England, the Banter Brigade were hosting the visiting Who Dat Nation. Playing in a different timezone gave them a slight advantage of knowing how much they needed to score. Tom Brady (QB) had one of his best days as the starter for the Banter and despite having an atrocious first quarter, Joe Burrow (QB) was able to match the Goat and keep pace on the scoreboard. This was a game that was going to be won or lost in the trenches, and who better to get down and dirty than Nation's star Christian McCafferty (RB). Christian put up 31 unanswered points on his own and while the Banter didn't match it, they kept the game close...until they got to their positional spot - where they had scheduled a ghost. The Banter Brigade fall over int he end by virtue of not playing a full team, allowing the Who Dat Nation to steal the win. Who Dat Nation defeat the Banter Brigade 151 - 133.
In Australia, we had the game of the year with the Taipans hosting the Helmand Nighthawks. Having made the long trek south the Nighthawks started slight favorites against the home - how does that happen? This was the biggest shoot out of the year between the two favorites in what may be a Torpedo Bowl matchup. The Taipans opened up an early lead with Greg Kittle (TE) and Josh Allen (QB) before a single Nighthawk got on the field. The nighthawks chased down the Taipans lead lead by Patrick Mahonnes (QB) and then it was a foot race. Both teams had stacked their players into the Sunday afternoon market and this was a lead changing slug fest. This was the highest scoring game of the week with eleven changes of lead coming into the last quarter. In the last 34 seconds of the game the lead changed five more teams with the Taipans just eeking out a slight lead. And then it happened - we're calling it the Stevenson Streak. When the play clock expired the Nighthawks were in possession of the ball. They were swarmed by the Taipans unable to move forward, losing yards when Rhamonde Stevenson received a lateral pass. And he was off to the races. The Taipans ran him down but not before he had accumulated an additional 24 yards, giving the Nighthawks the win after time had expired on the last play of the day. This was a game you will watch on pretend TV years from now and wish you had been there. The Nighthawks steal the win from the Australian Taipans 175.84 - 173.66, a difference of 2.18 points. Wow.
Having heard some of the earlier game results results come in and the stadium broadcast of the current games going on, the Guns of Hochuli were at home hosting the Boss team. The Gunners were on ice, with the intermediate results going the Drunk Monkeys way putting the Gunners in jeopardy of falling out of the playoffs. Even though they had Stefon Diggs (WR) their star in the snow, he only scored 120.70 points, and the door was opened for a Boss team win. With Jaylen Hurts (QB) and A.J. Brown combining for 73.3 points, the Boss Team marched away form the Gunners in the late first half, and this one was all over by the middle of the second half. It would then become a loss by "how much" for the Gunners. Gunners failed to rally over 100 points succumbing to the Boss Team 174 - 93, and as they walked off the field, they began to check their cell phones and wonder had they made the play offs.
Let's check the play off seedings.
The Helmand Nighthawks and the Australian Taipans came into this game as the #1 and #2 seeds. The Nighthawks needed to beat the Taipans by a wide margin. Now, while the Nighthawks have beaten the Taipans both time this year, either side of the Taipans eight (8) game winning streak, the two teams ended up tied for the best record at 10 - 5. The count back for teams outside the division, is by total point scored. The Taipans earn their first regular season championship as the #1 seed and get to stay home throughout the playoffs. The Helmand Nighthawks with their win stay a game ahead of the their divisional rival, and secure the #2 seed. The win by the Who Dat Nation gives them sole possession of the #3 seed without the need to count back....and then it gets messy.
The win by the Drunk Monkeys and the loss by the Gunners elevates the Drunk Monkeys at 8-7 to the #4 seed, and once again we ask ourselves, who good could this team have been if they're coach had just shown up. The Gunners loss relegates them 7-8 in a tie with the Boss team. The Bosses have outscored everyone int he past few weeks so they are elevated to the #5 position. The Gunners are able to stop the freefall and occupy the #6 position. The Banter Brigade in their debut finish 6-9 while the Black Cats, a once might kingdom, occupy last at 3-12.
Now that we know that, where are the games nest week.
The Taipans stay at home and welcome the Drunk Monkeys to town. The Taipans and Monkeys met three times this year with the Taipans winning all three games, but the Monkeys have shown they could be the best damm team...if they show up.
The Helmand Nightahwks win the Sub Simmers division as the #2 seed and welcome their divisional rival the Who Dat Nation to won. These are the two powerhouse teams of recent history and this game is our Match of the Day.
In the consolation series, the countback elevated the Boss team to the #5 seed and they welcome the Black Cats back to England for the third time this year. The Bosses won all three previous encounters. The Gunners slippage from the #4 seed to the #6 seed means they get to stay at home for one game, but they must be left asking "what if" after leading the league for several weeks. They welcome the expansion team the Banter Brigade to Texas.
Each week, (including the week where our post vanished) the Associated Subsim Writers (ASW) will nominated their Most Valuable Torpedo (MVT) of the week, the single player who proved decisive in their teams performance.
We could have taken a player form the Nightahwks win but when you look at what this team did to get into the final four, we had to give it to them. For the effort of 12 receptions for 123 yards and 1touchdown, for a total of 36.30 points, the Week Fifteen MVT goes to Justin Jefferson (WR) of the Drunk Monkeys.
