Week 3 TFL Preview

Teams Begin Push For 1st Half Championship

Matt Albert
TFL Press

The race is getting tighter for the 1st half title as week 3 looms large. Injuries are taking effect and lesser-knowns will have to step up big. What remains to be seen is what teams can shrug off the effects of a certain Green Street gathering Saturday night. If they take in too much tea and crumpets, they can go from champs to chumps.

Game Capsules

Team B (+6.5) vs. Team D
Time: 1 pm
Location: Terrace Fields
TV: None
Radio: None
Keys for Team B: Team B is in a big hole right now at 0-2. Their hopes for a berth in the championship game are probably gone, but that won't stop them from playing for pride. With the emergence of a new quarterback in Chris Preston, the hopes are high. Look for Preston to establish a short passing game as he did the week before. He only threw one bad pass that resulted in 7 for the opponent. If he can avoid the turnovers, Team B has as good a chance as anybody. There's no reason to think they'll come out flat at all.
Keys for Team D: Team D needs this one badly. With a win, they'll pull to 2-1 and a possible tie for 1st place. With the regular season dwindling down, every play matters. Scott Wujek led his team to an incredible win in quintuple overtime, and it provided the lift to a relatively young and inexperienced team. Their tough, gritty style is what helps them succeed. If they come out with their edge, they can overcome any disparity in talent or experience.
Malbert's Fearless Prediction: Team D 28, Team B 21


Team A (+6.5) vs. Team C
Time: 2 pm
Location: Terrace Fields
TV: None
Radio: None
Keys for Team A: Team A suffered two setbacks last week: a loss and a slight injury to Quinn Fuechsl. The good news for them is that Joe Griglione comes off of suspension this week, and a win would put them in a tie for 1st place. It would also give them the tiebreaker advantage over Team C because of the victory. The major challenge for Fuechsl will be to keep the ball away from Calvin Braker. He has 5 interceptions and shows no sign of slowing down. A balanced rushing and passing attack will be vital for a victory. If Fuechsl is content to drop back on every play and chuck it deep, it won't work.
Keys for Team C: A win this week will almost certainly give them a berth in the championship game, not to mention the continued pride of being the only unbeaten team in the league. This team has been a buzz saw for all of its opponents. They'll get their stiffest (hehehehe, I totally just said stiffest) competition this week when they face Team A. If they continue to play their game, they'll win this one. As long as they stay away from the injury bug and the mental mistakes, Team C could very well be 3-0 by the end of the day.
Malbert's Utterly Fearless Prediction: Team C 35, Team A 21

That's all for now. Let the debating begin. And let's keep the hate mail to a minimum this time or else I'll have to post the funniest ones with my even funnier retorts.