Playoffs - Divisional Round
'15 Carolina vs. '62 Green Bay
The Panthers, off the heels of a win in Seattle, travel to Lambeau field to face the giant of the league, the '62 Packers. Only 3 teams have hurt the Packers - Chicago, Oakland and Kansas City. But with an 8-game win streak and a bye, the Panthers will have a tough battle ahead.
The Panthers picked up an early TD to start off the game on a Newton-Olsen throw. But when Bart Starr immediately retaliated with a 59 yard throw to McGee, fans were sure they were in for one of the best games of the year.
For the next 45 minutes, they would discover just how wrong they were. Despite Green Bay being a favorite for going all the way, the Panthers would be the only team putting points on the scoreboard for several quarters. Despite the Pack putting up several good drives, the Panthers D put a stop to each one.
On the other hand, Green Bay seemed unable to stop Carolina, especially Jonathan Stewart. Despite only running for 60 yards, Stewart would run 2 for TD's and would also grab another TD throw from Newton. Olsen also helped the Panthers with 4 catches averaging 29 yards each (the longest being a 50). Carolina had over 400 yards offense on the day, almost evenly split among rushing and passing.
The Packers would eventually hit their stride in the 4th quarter and pick up 2 TD's, but Panthers win 37-20.
The Packers had come into this game with an expectation of earning the shot at the Legendary Bowl. They left the game giving up their hopes and their season. Carolina will move on to face the winner of the Atlanta and Arizona game.
The Panthers picked up an early TD to start off the game on a Newton-Olsen throw. But when Bart Starr immediately retaliated with a 59 yard throw to McGee, fans were sure they were in for one of the best games of the year.
For the next 45 minutes, they would discover just how wrong they were. Despite Green Bay being a favorite for going all the way, the Panthers would be the only team putting points on the scoreboard for several quarters. Despite the Pack putting up several good drives, the Panthers D put a stop to each one.
On the other hand, Green Bay seemed unable to stop Carolina, especially Jonathan Stewart. Despite only running for 60 yards, Stewart would run 2 for TD's and would also grab another TD throw from Newton. Olsen also helped the Panthers with 4 catches averaging 29 yards each (the longest being a 50). Carolina had over 400 yards offense on the day, almost evenly split among rushing and passing.
The Packers would eventually hit their stride in the 4th quarter and pick up 2 TD's, but Panthers win 37-20.
The Packers had come into this game with an expectation of earning the shot at the Legendary Bowl. They left the game giving up their hopes and their season. Carolina will move on to face the winner of the Atlanta and Arizona game.
'12 Houston vs. '99 Jacksonville
Of our 4 matches this weekend, this is one of 2 between existing division rivals, and the 3rd match between the teams all year. Both Houston and Jacksonville have 1 win each in the series, so the winner here not only can have confidence in their position, but will move on to face the winner of the Jets and Patriots.
That confidence for each team would not come in the form of their offense, though both offenses put up over 300 yards. Instead, half of the game's points would be on FG's alone, and not a single attempt was missed.
Fortunately, the first score of the game would not be a FG, but instead a punt return. Barlow ran back a punt 54 yards to score 8 minutes into the 1st quarter. But those 7 points would quickly be overshadowed by 3 straight FG's from the Texans in the remainder of the half.
Down 9-7 at the half, Jacksonville took the first possession of the 2nd half. Brunell put together a great drive, taking the lead back on a 23 yard throw to Smith.
It would be almost 15 minutes before either team would score, but after Jacksonville hitting a FG, the 8 point lead would put some extra pressure on Houston. Despite several efforts, however, the Texans could only muster another FG. Jacksonville wins 17-12
The Texans put up more yards in the air and on the ground than the Jaguars, but destroyed themselves with 20 penalties, 2 INT's and allowing 6 sacks on Schaub by the Carolina defense. Schaub had a decent passing game otherwise, completing almost 70% of his throws for over 300 yards. Johnson and Daniels both contributed huge to that effort, each racking up 99 yards or more.
For Jacksonville, Smith was clearly Brunell's favorite target with 5 catches for 159 yards - a whopping 22.7 yard average! Brunell himself only completed half his throws, but with 1 TD and 1 INT and 243 yards, still had a decent day - scoring when it counted.
That confidence for each team would not come in the form of their offense, though both offenses put up over 300 yards. Instead, half of the game's points would be on FG's alone, and not a single attempt was missed.
Fortunately, the first score of the game would not be a FG, but instead a punt return. Barlow ran back a punt 54 yards to score 8 minutes into the 1st quarter. But those 7 points would quickly be overshadowed by 3 straight FG's from the Texans in the remainder of the half.
Down 9-7 at the half, Jacksonville took the first possession of the 2nd half. Brunell put together a great drive, taking the lead back on a 23 yard throw to Smith.
It would be almost 15 minutes before either team would score, but after Jacksonville hitting a FG, the 8 point lead would put some extra pressure on Houston. Despite several efforts, however, the Texans could only muster another FG. Jacksonville wins 17-12
The Texans put up more yards in the air and on the ground than the Jaguars, but destroyed themselves with 20 penalties, 2 INT's and allowing 6 sacks on Schaub by the Carolina defense. Schaub had a decent passing game otherwise, completing almost 70% of his throws for over 300 yards. Johnson and Daniels both contributed huge to that effort, each racking up 99 yards or more.
For Jacksonville, Smith was clearly Brunell's favorite target with 5 catches for 159 yards - a whopping 22.7 yard average! Brunell himself only completed half his throws, but with 1 TD and 1 INT and 243 yards, still had a decent day - scoring when it counted.
'68 NY Jets vs. '07 Patriots
With 2 wins for New England previously against the Jets, all bets favor the Patriots in the 3rd match among these AFC East giants. The Patriots have home field this time around, but neither team would find this an easy win.
The Jets would go up by 10 points early in the 2nd quarter after a Snell TD run and a 31 yard Turner FG. But the Patriots would get back into the game with a little luck from Hobbs. Hobbs would take Turner's kick-off at just the 10, but would go all the way for a TD.
The Jets would put in another FG on their following drive to increase their lead to 6, but Brady would put together his first TD drive following, finding Moss on a 7 yard throw. With just 4 minutes left, NE finally had a 1 point lead. The Jets would lose their chance on offense to take it back, but with the Patriots getting poor ball position on a punt, the NYJ defense would get the points on a Safety instead. Jets lead 15-14 at the half.
Namath would get another chance on offense as the Jets took the 3rd quarter kickoff. It wouldn't take him long to increase his lead to 8 points, after finding Maynard wide open for a 47 yard TD. The Patriots would settle for just a FG on their next drive, heading into 4th quarter down by 5 points.
Brady has a history of 4th quarter comebacks, so when the Patriots D stopped the Jets to give him the ball again, there was some concern from NYJ fans. It was well founded when just minutes later, the Patriots were near the goal line. Brady would jump ahead of the Jets by 2 after connecting to Morris in the end zone.
As the 4th quarter wound down, a New England win seemed certain, and a Gostkowski field goal just at the 2 minute warning seemed to solidify that. But Namath, never one to lose his cool, connected to Maynard again on another huge throw, 55 yards for the TD and a 2 point lead.
Only 90 seconds remained on the clock for Brady to cement his legacy. It would take all his efforts and timeouts, but he would get New England in FG range with just 3 seconds left on the clock. With the Patriots legacy in the balance, Gostkowski trotted on to try the 43 yarder.
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Patriots win 30-29. With Gostkowski's last second kick, the Patriots squeeze into the Championship round with their 3rd win over NY. They'll face the Jaguars next week to see which franchise has the chance to move to the Legendary Bowl.
The Jets' clearly came their closest ever to winning over the Patriots, and Namath's 324 passing yards helped. He has Maynard, as usual, to thank for that. Maynard had just 4 catches, but totaled 205 yards among them and 2 TDs. That means half his catches were scoring plays of 50+ yards. Sauer also a good day with 6 catches, and Namath was 14 for 27 overall.
New England had just 287 yards passing, but Moss and Welker had 7 and 9 catches, respectively, each with over 80 yards on the day. Brady himself was Mr. Accurate with 31 of 44 with 2 TDs and 0 picks.
The Jets would go up by 10 points early in the 2nd quarter after a Snell TD run and a 31 yard Turner FG. But the Patriots would get back into the game with a little luck from Hobbs. Hobbs would take Turner's kick-off at just the 10, but would go all the way for a TD.
The Jets would put in another FG on their following drive to increase their lead to 6, but Brady would put together his first TD drive following, finding Moss on a 7 yard throw. With just 4 minutes left, NE finally had a 1 point lead. The Jets would lose their chance on offense to take it back, but with the Patriots getting poor ball position on a punt, the NYJ defense would get the points on a Safety instead. Jets lead 15-14 at the half.
Namath would get another chance on offense as the Jets took the 3rd quarter kickoff. It wouldn't take him long to increase his lead to 8 points, after finding Maynard wide open for a 47 yard TD. The Patriots would settle for just a FG on their next drive, heading into 4th quarter down by 5 points.
Brady has a history of 4th quarter comebacks, so when the Patriots D stopped the Jets to give him the ball again, there was some concern from NYJ fans. It was well founded when just minutes later, the Patriots were near the goal line. Brady would jump ahead of the Jets by 2 after connecting to Morris in the end zone.
As the 4th quarter wound down, a New England win seemed certain, and a Gostkowski field goal just at the 2 minute warning seemed to solidify that. But Namath, never one to lose his cool, connected to Maynard again on another huge throw, 55 yards for the TD and a 2 point lead.
Only 90 seconds remained on the clock for Brady to cement his legacy. It would take all his efforts and timeouts, but he would get New England in FG range with just 3 seconds left on the clock. With the Patriots legacy in the balance, Gostkowski trotted on to try the 43 yarder.
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Patriots win 30-29. With Gostkowski's last second kick, the Patriots squeeze into the Championship round with their 3rd win over NY. They'll face the Jaguars next week to see which franchise has the chance to move to the Legendary Bowl.
The Jets' clearly came their closest ever to winning over the Patriots, and Namath's 324 passing yards helped. He has Maynard, as usual, to thank for that. Maynard had just 4 catches, but totaled 205 yards among them and 2 TDs. That means half his catches were scoring plays of 50+ yards. Sauer also a good day with 6 catches, and Namath was 14 for 27 overall.
New England had just 287 yards passing, but Moss and Welker had 7 and 9 catches, respectively, each with over 80 yards on the day. Brady himself was Mr. Accurate with 31 of 44 with 2 TDs and 0 picks.
'15 Arizona vs. '98 Atlanta
Much like Green Bay, the Falcons defend their 6-game win streak against a Cardinals team that is hot off a win in Philly. At this rate, a win for them would put them to face off against the Panthers, their major rival from the 2015 season. But Atlanta's deadly defense looms large.
Unfortunately for Cardinals fans, this game looked much like the Green Bay one as well, but in the other direction. The Falcons, favored for the win, came up huge with 4 TD's in the 1st quarter alone, which would end up making the difference in the matchup. Chandler would complete 2 deep balls over 50 yards for scores, while also getting help from Jamal Anderson on the 3rd TD. The 4th TD came from that deadly defense, blocking a punt and recovering in the end zone.
In the 2nd quarter, Arizona was able to compose themselves, and Palmer helped his team put 7 points on the board with a TD throw. But the Cardinals D still had trouble against Atlanta, making them settle for 2 FG's to make the lead 34-7 at half.
Often in these games we see a stronger effort from the comeback team, but Arizona proved somewhat an exception.The only 3rd quarter scores were by the Falcons, with special teams helping Dwight get a 93 yard kickoff return.
Up 44-14 in the 4th quarter, it was fairly obvious where the game was headed. Arizona got an early break with an 80 yard punt return by Peterson, and after stopping the Falcons, punched in another TD on a Johnson run with 9 minutes remaining. Things still seemed within reach, but the Falcons found themselves able to waste several minutes on the clock, and scored one last time to rub salt in the wounds of the struggling Arizona team.
Atlanta wins 51-28 and will head on to face off against the Panthers. This of course ruins a chance at a 2015 season NFC Championship repeat match, but gives LFL fans what they want.
Looking back on the game, many will say Arizona's turnovers cost them most dearly against the deadly Falcons. Having coughed up the ball 4 times, they only recovered once, and Atlanta capitalized on each effort.
In the backfield, the better QB was clearly Chandler, with an outstanding 73.9% completion for 314 yards, 2 TDs and 1 pick. Each of his receivers had 3 or more catches, with Mathis picking up 131 yards alone and Martin close behind at 91. Palmer's biggest targets were Fitzgerald, with 116 yards on 5 catches, and Brown with 6 catches.
Unfortunately for Cardinals fans, this game looked much like the Green Bay one as well, but in the other direction. The Falcons, favored for the win, came up huge with 4 TD's in the 1st quarter alone, which would end up making the difference in the matchup. Chandler would complete 2 deep balls over 50 yards for scores, while also getting help from Jamal Anderson on the 3rd TD. The 4th TD came from that deadly defense, blocking a punt and recovering in the end zone.
In the 2nd quarter, Arizona was able to compose themselves, and Palmer helped his team put 7 points on the board with a TD throw. But the Cardinals D still had trouble against Atlanta, making them settle for 2 FG's to make the lead 34-7 at half.
Often in these games we see a stronger effort from the comeback team, but Arizona proved somewhat an exception.The only 3rd quarter scores were by the Falcons, with special teams helping Dwight get a 93 yard kickoff return.
Up 44-14 in the 4th quarter, it was fairly obvious where the game was headed. Arizona got an early break with an 80 yard punt return by Peterson, and after stopping the Falcons, punched in another TD on a Johnson run with 9 minutes remaining. Things still seemed within reach, but the Falcons found themselves able to waste several minutes on the clock, and scored one last time to rub salt in the wounds of the struggling Arizona team.
Atlanta wins 51-28 and will head on to face off against the Panthers. This of course ruins a chance at a 2015 season NFC Championship repeat match, but gives LFL fans what they want.
Looking back on the game, many will say Arizona's turnovers cost them most dearly against the deadly Falcons. Having coughed up the ball 4 times, they only recovered once, and Atlanta capitalized on each effort.
In the backfield, the better QB was clearly Chandler, with an outstanding 73.9% completion for 314 yards, 2 TDs and 1 pick. Each of his receivers had 3 or more catches, with Mathis picking up 131 yards alone and Martin close behind at 91. Palmer's biggest targets were Fitzgerald, with 116 yards on 5 catches, and Brown with 6 catches.
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