S14 SEIMFINALS SFL NEWSLETTER

CHAMPIONSHIP PEDIGREE: Champs, New York clash in semifinal rematch

Saturday September 20 — No. 3 New York (4-4) @ No. 2 Orlando (6-2), noon CT

All-time series: Series tied 2-2

Matchup tracker: Park HeeChul vs. Steven Lambert. HeeChul is the Knights X-factor and Lambert is Orlando's. Lambert has 33 tackles in the last two games, including a league-record 17 against New York just two weeks ago, when Orlando went to New York and handed the Knights their third straight loss. The winner of this match up will likely be on the team headed to their second championship game appearance.

ORLANDO — No road team has ever won in the playoffs. Nobody knows how big home-field advantage can be in the playoffs than New York and Orlando. Back in Summer 2013, New York was the No. 1 seed and hosted the No. 4 seed Intimidators. They overwhelmed Orlando in that game, injuring receiver Chris Taylor and left Orlando's sword limp, 38-17. They won the title that year against Oklahoma City. Orlando was the No. 1 seed last year, blew up Dallas at home en rout to their first title, also against the Renegades. These two teams have won titles on each other's home field. It's the first playoff rematch in league history and it's the first match up of this year's postseason. Could you ask for a better match up than this?

A road team has never won in the playoffs, but New York comes into this game as the favorite. Orlando is once again without Zach Parker (fractured arm) for the game after he got hurt in Buffalo two weeks ago. Orlando barely beat a Roller franchise that was abandoned most of the season without Parker, producing only 8 first downs and a little over 300 yards of offense - entirely through the air - and barely beat New York in their first meeting this season with Parker. If Orlando has any shot, it's going to be with receiver Lorenzo Allen, who has been destructive - five touchdowns in the last four weeks.

Wes St. Clair didn't finish the year as well as he started, but did have a completion record (83%) had a touchdown/INT ratio of +12, second best in the league all-time, throwing an SFL record low 7 INT's in 8 games. He will be trying to become the first player ever to make it to three consecutive championship games (Orlando's Rodney Woods and A.J. LaCoste can also accomplish that feat if Orlando wins). Woods could become the first player in league history with 3 titles, after winning with New York and Orlando, previously.

Orlando's defense has let them down at times this season, but they do have the league's No. 1 pass defenses, giving up 250.4 yards per game.

Will New York return to title game glory or will the defending champs overcome all the odds to become the first-team with a chance to win titles back-to-back? Find out Saturday afternoon, only on the SFL Network on Twitch.tv.

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HEAVY UNDERDOGS: Bulldogs head to Baltimore on 3-game winning streak

Monday September 22 — No. 4 San Francisco (4-4) @ Baltimore (8-0), 6 pm CT

All-time series: Baltimore leads 1-0

Matchup tracker: Joseph Redfeather vs. Henry Hittener. Redfeather is coming off his best game of the season, a win over Dallas that secured San Francisco's playoff spot. He had his worst game of the season against Baltimore in each team's fifth game this season, throwing two of his three interceptions to Hittener. If the Bulldogs want to have any shot, they'll need to protect the ball and keep Hittener - who finished the season a top-five tackler - out of the playmaking role.

BALTIMORE - Before the season started, Baltimore was the new kid on the block. An inexperienced staff with inexperienced players left a season full of questions. Baltimore answered every single one of them on their way to the first undefeated season in league history, led by coach Thomas Paterniti's brilliance and dedication to the team. Now, two games away from a 10-0 title run, the Crabs have San Francisco on their plate, a team that held the Crabs' offense in check, despite a 20-7 loss.

Let's not be silly. San Francisco won't win a 10-7 game against the Crabs. They will have to score points, which means at least a somewhat decent effort out of running back Michael Urban - who's coming off a career-high 217 yards rushing against the Stars - will be required, along with solid play out of Joseph Redfeather and receiver James Cooley, who finished third in the league this year with 931 receiving yards.

For Baltimore, Elliott Snider is the offensive key. Most teams have been unable to stop Snider at all this season, San Francisco did, holding him to a career-low 98 yards on 36 carries (0 touchdowns). If Snider gets going, the Bulldogs likely won't be able to hang. Quarterback Mike Dazzo finished the season as the leagues second-best passer, while receiver Nick T. Quick was the only receiver to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark this summer.

Let's not forget the MVP-candidate Randall Watts, who set an SFL record with 13 sacks this season - in 5 games, after being picked up mid-season by the Bulldogs to play opposite of 3-year veteran Jordan Gray on the defensive line. He forced a fumble in their previous meeting with Baltimore and a ridiculous performance out of big No. 92 would go a long way in ensuring San Francisco can hang with the championship-favorites.

Will the Crabs continue their dominance or do the Bulldogs have the biggest upset in league history planned? Find out Monday night, on the SFL Network on Twitch.tv.

#baltimore #newyork #orlando #sanfrancisco