The GM’s Scouting Report (Div C) – Week 10

Well, we’ve seen the divisional round come and go. I was very happy to have gone 4-0 in my predictions, but the games were anything but predictable and the playoffs are far from over. Now seeing the best possible four teams advance to take on the top dogs, we’re going to be in for some of the best football yet. A lot of critics have claimed that there was a serious disparity between the top and bottom tiers of Division C; with the perceived ‘weaker’ teams out of the way, we’re going to be left with gritty games that will come down to the wire.

 

Conference A

 

Wolverines (1) vs. KGP Champs (5)

(No previous matchup)

 

You’d have to go all the way back to March 13^th, 2011 to find the last matchup between these two cores (Snookerines won 30-28 for all those curious.) That being said, it would be daft to say that you’d be able to compare between then and now. Both teams have come leaps and bounds from what they once were; Wolverines saw a championship since then, and KGP Champs are playing their best football and have seen their best regular season record since 2009.

 

In order for the Wolverines to be successful, they need to play their usual calculated game. Keeping the ball on offense for as long as possible should be a key point in the Wolverines offense. Mix Cutler’s quick-strike offense that you want to keep the ball away from with Tabet’s incredibly high completion percentage and march-down-the-field attitude, and you’ve got two reasons that I’d milk the clock for as long as possible as the Wolverines.

 

The KGP Champs know that they’ve got something special going for them. Not only have we heard about their high-powered offense week after week, we were treated to seeing their defense put on a show last week. They’ve got their strongest roster yet, and the key to success for them is to simply keep doing what they’re doing. Every player on the team knows their role and is a contributing factor to the machine that we’ve been seeing throughout the season.

 

I know that I said a lot of things this season. On one hand, I said that the Wolverines might just go 10-0 and take it to the finals. I also said that if KGP Champs could beat The Incredibles, they were a sure bet for the finals. So my empty promises and hot air have finally come to a standstill. The Wolverines are incredibly talented and this game is for sure going to be a nail-biter. However, I think that at this juncture, KGP are red-hot and have more to prove.

 

Prediction: KGP Champs   

 

Golden Eagles (2) vs. The Incredibles(3)

(Previous matchup – Golden Eagles: 31, The Incredibles: 47)

 

This is a matchup that’ll be, quite simply, a battle of the deep ball. You have two confident franchise QBs going head to head in a battle that’s sure to put the pressure on the defenses. With both quarterbacks having a penchant for throwing 40-bombs, this game is sure to be the most impressive to watch. Two teams loaded with so much talent, you could practically make the Division C all-star team with just these two rosters.

 

Being the higher seed and the team that lost the last time these two met, the Golden Eagles are the team with the most to prove. In order to exploit the weaknesses of the Incredibles defense, Kevin Lubin is going to need to give a healthy mix of passing and running in order to keep the defense guessing. The Golden Eagles’ defense is going to need to get creative in limiting the Incredibles’ “big three” of Peterson, Bertoldi and Nardone; a little physicality might be the answer as the Golden Eagles have the brawn in this matchup.

 

Greg Stern has the ability to throw defenses for a loop. Having a reputation for consistently going deep, he can switch up his playbook at a moment’s notice and really confuse the DBs (Example: Scott Booth saw his biggest game of the season last week simply because he’s often the forgotten player on the field with so much attention on the others.) As far as the defense, we know just how much the Incredibles can ballhawk. So long as they don’t let any Golden Eagles receivers get by them, you know that they’re going to do what they do best.

 

What’s going to happen here is that the most important play of the game will be who wins the coin toss. This is going to be a possession battle; both squads need to ensure that they get as many turns on offense as possible. Of course it goes without saying that an interception will definitely be killer in this game, but maybe not a backbreaker; we’re prone to seeing two or three with the talent. However, despite it all, I think that if the Incredibles could do it once, they can do it again.

 

Prediction: The Incredibles

 

Conference B

 

One Night Stands (1) vs. The Commission (4)

(Previous matchup – One Night Stands: 39, The Commission: 26)

 

You can’t ignore the experience on these teams. Amongst all the players combined, you have 9 championship winners by my count (the players who played on these respective championship teams: Young Guns{x3}, Waterbuffaloes, Warriors, SWAT, Old Skool, Renegades and Ruff Ryders) As such, both squads are chalk-full of guys who know the importance of every drive.

 

Do we expect enough from ONS? Do we expect too much? It’s hard to gauge a team that once had Kevin Wyeth but now does not. I think that in order to evaluate them and build up hopes, you need to look at this team as a completely separate entity. And as a separate entity, ONS are damn good. Craig O’Brien knows how to march the ball up methodically, and the receivers have a knack for being in the right place at the right time. If you want to compare flashiness to results, ONS will come up with results every time.

 

The Commission JUST squeaked out a win in the final seconds of the divisional round with an incompletion of the opposition. Nate Thompson is certainly one of the more elite quarterbacks in the division, and has a plethora of capable receivers. In order for the offense to be successful, they really need to ensure that they go up for they come down with, and that drops and squandered passes are at a minimum. They’ve got the brains, and they’ve got the talent.

 

Moe and I discuss week in, week out the reputation that The Commission have in the playoffs. They barely beat a team that they should have beaten convincingly, and now they’re up against the top dog in Conference B. In all honesty, despite what the reputation of the bye week has on the top seeds, (In the last two years that the bye week was in effect for Division 4, 11 out of the 16 top seeds who had a bye lost the next game back) I see ONS taking this one. They’ve got the motivation, and know that this might well be the first step on the way to the show.

 

Prediction: One Night Stands

 

#NoRegard (2) vs. Darkside (3)

(Previous matchup – #NoRegard: 12, Darkside 12)

 

The only matchup on the list where we haven’t really learned anything from their last meeting. You’ve got a tie and a whole lot of uncertainty to expect. Will Justin Smolar play? Will we see an amassing of OCs? Will either team score more than three touchdowns? I think that we’re in a pickle here; there are just so many unknowns in a playoff scenario to begin with that starting a matchup with this many questions is even more mind boggling.

 

Like the playoff scenario or not, #NoRegard are the #2 seed amidst Conference B. Despite being busy pleading with Ochocinco over twitter to join their squad, #NoRegard managed to find time to sit atop Conference B west with a 4-4-2 record. It’s no secret that they’re a better squad with Smolar behind center; not only are they without him, they lose an A-1 receiver as well in having to put Jordan Moses at quarterback instead of his natural receiver position. As always, the defense will show up and do their job being the least of the worries and likely the most consistent part of both teams in this matchup.

 

Darkside have glimmers of hope just as much as they have signs of trouble. They show so much promise and then squander it away the following week. They’ve got enough strength and enough talent to be a serious contender for the title; what’s missing? I think that, more than anything, the drive to be the best is missing. Having already proved themselves once, there’s less of a chip on their shoulder. What we need to see is the fire in Leon Holder’s eyes, the routes run with purpose and the defensive swagger that this team should be known for. In order for Darkside to be successful, they need to execute what they already know they’re good at.

 

I see this game with a lot of potential, and potential to get out of hand as well. Both teams are talented, and both teams are chirpy with egos to protect as well. This game is not going to fall on the shoulders of the quarterbacks, but rather on the shoulders of Kendal Mayers and Rob White. The captain that keeps his squad in line and especially focused will be the captain that doesn’t see his season end on Sunday. I think that given the inconsistency that we’ve been seeing from #NoRegard, Darkside can be a safe bet. However, at full strength, this game is a coin toss and an even harder one to predict. I’ll go with the upset on a whim.

 

Prediction: Darkside