AFLL IN REVIEW (Week 4)
TIME BANDITS 46 at Beowulf 16
GAME STORY: The Time Bandits had four receivers go over 100 yards in Week 3 but did not need that in their 30-point win over Beowulf. In fact, QB FRAN TARKENTON didn’t throw a single touchdown pass and WR ERIC DECKER came the closest to 100 yards with 97. Instead, the Taylors ran the show for Time Bandits helping them improve to 2-2 on the season. RB JIM TAYLOR didn’t need to travel far for his three touchdowns as he finished the day with seven carries for seven yards in a great example of quality, not quantity. Credit to Beowulf for recognizing running the ball wasn’t going to work so QB BART STARR decided to lean on his running backs, RB ERIC METCALF and RB OJ SIMPSON combined for 11 receptions and 99 yards.
GAME BALLS: (O) – RB FRED TAYLOR was the other half of the Taylor and Taylor show 40 carries and 103 yards rushing plus a TD.
(D) – LB RAY LEWIS grabs the defensive game ball for Time Bandits leading the team with three sacks and two forced fumbles to go with seven tackles.
ELITE 48 at IMMORTALS 52
GAME STORY: An unbelievable game that included a crazy fourth quarter where Immortals improved their record to 2-2 with a four-point win over ELITE (1-3). ELITE QB JOHNNY UNITAS had himself a nice afternoon through the air with 583 yards and five touchdowns. WR MICHAEL IRVIN caught 11 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns but it’s sure hard to ignore that he had six drops. Immortals WR TERRELL OWENS also had a huge afternoon with seven catches for 179 yards and three touchdowns, but he also dropped three passes.
GAME BALLS: (O) – QB BRETT FAVRE outduelled Unitas with 618 yards and six touchdown passes. He is third in the AFLL in passing yards (2740) and touchdown passes (22).
(D) – Former Heisman Trophy winner DB CHARLES WOODSON was running sideline to sideline Sunday afternoon with a team leading 12 tackles, five knockdowns and two tackles for losses.
Birds of Prey 0 at FANCENTRIC FRENZY 29
GAME STORY: The answer to the question “Who had the first shutout in the history of the AFLL?” was answered in Week 4. That belongs with to the FanCentric Frenzy (2-2) who picked the perfect time to have a viewing party, who watched the team blank Birds of Prey (0-4) 29-0. Birds of Prey QB JOHN ELWAY was sacked 11 times and was held to 93 yards passing by the Frenzy defence. Frenzy QB RANDALL CUNNINGHAM is lucky he has had the support of his defence the past couple of weeks cause he threw four more interceptions and fumbled three times.
GAME BALLS: (O) – WR CHARLIE JOINER caught six passes for a game high 122 yards and a touchdown for the Frenzy.
(D) – FanCentric Frenzy LB ED SPRINKLE did his part against a struggling Birds of Prey offence with two sacks, four tackles for losses and three knockdowns.
Originals 43 at ANVILS 46
GAME STORY: Anvils stay with the tiny group of unbeaten teams with a three-point win to move to 4-0. The Originals threw everything but the kitchen sink at Anvils QB JOE MONTANA sacking him 15 times and forcing him into four turnovers. But Montana gave it right back with five touchdown passes and that was good enough to overcome Originals QB DREW BREES and his 443 passing yards and four touchdown output. TE VERNON DAVIS was outstanding with 292 receiving yards with 184 yards after the catch and two touchdowns. K GEORGE BLANDA missed a couple of field goals for the Originals (1-3), and you look back and wonder what might have been.
GAME BALLS: (O) – WR REGGIE WAYNE caught 10 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns for the Anvils.
(D) – Anvils DL ART DONOVANS made five consecutive Pro Bowls during his illustrious NFL career, and he was on point Sunday, sacking Brees 10 times and one forced fumble.
GOATS 114 at Hunters 6
GAME STORY: Every time you think you have seen it all, the GOATS (4-0) give you just a little bit more. The Hunters (1-3) fans headed for the exits early in this game and it was probably for the best. We wrote last week about QB OTTO GRAHAM being a little less dominant and it looks like we made him angry, but more on that in a moment. The GOATS ran the ball ZERO times. It didn’t matter. Hunters QB DAN MARINO will be seeing GOATS jerseys in his sleep because he threw three interceptions and finished with 160 yards and zero TD’s.
GAME BALLS: (O) – GRAHAM looked at Peyton Manning’s stat line and simply said “I’ll do better”. He did with 1343 yards passing and 16 touchdowns, the term “The sky is the limit” doesn’t include OTTO GRAHAM.
(D) – LB LAWRENCE TAYLOR was leading the AFLL in sacks and that wasn’t good enough for him. Taylor put up 10 more sacks along with 13 tackles. Ridiculous.
Diamonds 18 at EOD DEMO GODS 62
GAME STORY: The Diamonds (1-3) went out and got some offensive help acquiring RB LEROY KELLY and didn’t use him at all. QB ROGER STAUBACH threw for 427 yards, a touchdown and was picked off twice. EOD Demo Gods (3-1) QB WARREN MOON is looking more comfortable, and he got lots of help from his receivers. TE MARK BAVARO (10-228), WR ISSAC BRUCE (7-139) and WR STERLING SHARPE (7-133) all went over 100 yards receiving for EOD who blew the game wide open in the fourth quarter with 28 points.
GAME BALLS: (O) – Moon just loves throwing the ball and he did it 65 times on Sunday to end with 729 yards and seven touchdown passes.
(D) – EOD LB DERRICK BROOKS led the way with nine tackles, two sacks and an interception.
FURY 93 at Throwbacks 34
GAME STORY: The Sunday nighter featured two unbeaten teams and it quickly became apparent who the better team was. Fury (4-0) tore apart Throwbacks (3-1) in the first half jumping out to a 54-7 lead and they never looked back. WR MARVIN HARRISON scored three touchdowns, RB MARSHALL FAULK and WR RANDY MOSS added two scores each for the Fury. Throwbacks TE KEITH JACKSON can’t be stopped even by the relentless Fury defence who sit third in points allowed, Jackson ended the night with 175 yards and three more touchdowns.
GAME BALLS: (O) – QB PEYTON MANNING will likely have his arm fall off trying to keep pace with Otto Graham. Manning had eight more touchdown passes and trails Graham by six in that department.
(D) – Fury LB JACK LAMBERT was second on the team with 10 tackles and tied for team lead in sacks (1) and interceptions (1).
VALHALLA 40 at Heroes FC 32
GAME STORY: A heck of a way to close out Week 4 with the Monday nightery and they are breathing a lot easier in the offices at Valhalla (1-3) headquarters after squeaking out a win on the road over Heroes FC (1-3) to give the new ownership group and the franchise their first win. The collars got a little tighter for Valhalla after they fell apart a bit in the game after racing out to 31-3 lead at halftime. Heroes FC scored 29 points in the second half to make it a close affair. QB Michael Vick threw for over 400 yards and a couple of touchdowns for Valhalla.
GAME BALLS: (O) – RB JIM BROWN was the man in this one, 39 carries for 67 yards and one touchdown. But he wasn’t done there, throwing in a team leading nine receptions for 109 yards and another score.
(D) – DB CHARLIE WATERS should have had this one, but the panel had other ideas. LB KEITH BULLOCK went home with the defensive game ball instead with eight tackles and two sacks.