The Internet Simulation Football League Newsletter
Volume #13 Issue #20 February 8, 2010
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Current League Officers
Commissioner: Mark McNeil (blades99@rochester.rr.com)
League Statistician: Mark McNeil (blades99@rochester.rr.com)
ISFL WWW site: http://www.blades99.com/ISFL/ISFL.htm
ISFL Review Board: Jeff Barricelli, Dave Stewart, Don Antonelli
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LEAGUE NOTES
I. Message from the Commissioner
II. News from Around the League
III. Standings
IV. Championship Round Results
V. Super Bowl XIII Schedule
VI. Transactions
VII. Other News including Players of the Week
I. MESSAGE FROM THE COMMISSIONER
Congratulations to the NY Jets and St. Louis Rams for making it to the big game as they are the matchup for ISFL Super Bowl XIII
with the game coming sometime in the next week at the owners convenience.
The draft lottery occurred this past weekend, with some changes to the top 6, as San Diego keeps the top spot in the draft, but
Chicago jumps up from #11 to #2 and then Miami jumps up from #5 to #3, with Denver and Tampa Bay rounding out the top 5. Congrats
to the Chargers and let the speculation begin, do they pick or do they trade it?
A new game update is available dated 11/30, please get it from the ISFL website before you play any games this week.
Dont forget, if you lose a player for 2 or more games, you can ask for an injury replacement, but it must be done the same week as
the injury, so dont wait, get those requests in right away and take advantage, especially the teams who are already challenged for
the amount of games they have to work with (this obviously doesnt apply to anyone who wont be playing in the playoffs).
Reminder that you MUST send a boxscore and writeup to the league after each game. The home team is responsible for this, but either
team can do it, as long as it does get done. Also, you MUST send me the game export immediately after the game is complete. It takes
about 30 seconds, so I shouldnt have to chase you down for that file after a game, just get it in right away so I dont have to guess
whether a game has happened or not.
Other than this stuff, just keep up the good work and good luck to all who are still in the playoffs!
II. News from Around the League
Ive put the actual game summaries from the coaches involved below as they can certainly better explain the games they have won better
than I can from the boxscores
AFC Championship was played at Giants Stadium in a windy and cold January evening.
Indy won the coin toss and elected to receive. A short kick and a good return (first of a series) put the Colts on 39 yd line to start
their offensive showdown. Their drive stalled quickly but Jets did only slightly better and had to punt too. On the 2nd possession Rodgers
was quite impressive and Ginn helped his team alot with a well executed end around. Th final play was a 5-yd TD connection with Jennings
on the receiving end. 7-0 Indy after 12 minutes of intense football.
Jets knew they had to react and Garcia began to dissect Colt secondary, but Indy's D# stiffened in its own red zone and NY had to be
content with a Folk chip shot to cut the lead to 7-3.
Again a combination of a bad kickoff and a good return put the Colts almost at midfield, Rodgers completed a couple of good passes on
the way to another 5-yd TD pass this time to Camarillo: 14-3 Indy and the ghosts of 2008 Steelers began to materialize as unwanted Jet
fans memories.
In the following drive Washington gave a good field position to the Jets and their coach decided to stretch Colt D# a bit; the plan had
some success as Garcia completed a couple of great passes, the second to Driver who found paydirt to narrow the gap to 14-10 with 5'30"
to go in the 1st half.
Indy began on the 45-yd line, but had to punt after a 3&out and NY had an opportunity to get again the offense on the field. Mixing well
rushes and passes Jets marched downfield and capped the drive with a Garcia to Washington screen pass to jump ahead 17-14 just before
halftime. Worth to mention: Colts fumbled on the squib kick but Garcia had only time to try a single bomb to the endzone without success.
In the second half teams exchanged punts, then NY managed to put together a long drive (8 minutes), with a thrilling ending: Edwards
caught a ball on a 3rd&14 but was shy of the 1st down by a yard; Jet coach decided to go for it and Garcia called a great audible in
order to beat the 6-3 defense with a slant pass: 24-14 Jets at the end of 3rd qtr.
Put under pressure and with no help from a bad rushing game Rodgers began to lose steam, Indy had to punt and NY extended the lead with
a 28-yd FG after another time consuming drive.
Last Colt assault ended with an endzone pick by Safety Payne and the game was over.
Eventually NY scored 24 unanswered points but never felt comfortably ahead.
Stats confirm Jet grip on the match: 437 total yds to 265 and most importantly a 2:1 ratio on possession time made the difference.
Garcia was deservedly named MVP as he finished with a monster 24-31-310-3TD performance (140 rating!), but Turner and Washington really
helped him with their own successful rushing efforts. Among Colts Rodgers played well but no other offensive player did distinguish
himself. Both defenses played well but without any great plays.
NFC Championship Game - Giants-Rams with a Super Bowl trip on the line. The big questions: which Giants team will show up, the one
that won in St. Louis Week 9, or the one that lost to Cleveland in the season finale, costing them home field throughout the playoffs?
And, which Rams team will show up, the one that started 8-0 and finished 4-1, or the one that was 0-3 in between? We would see flashes
of all of the above before this one was over, and the finish was appropriately crazy...
Rams win the toss, defer, and the Giants get the ball. (Not many secrets at this time of year. Peyton Manning will throw short to a
servicable if unintimidating receiving corps. Matt Forte will run and run and run behind the league's best OL.) Giants pick up a
couple of first downs and then try a pass to Matt Jones, who is doubledteamed. Jones makes the catch but is stripped by Champ Bailey --
Rams ball at the NY 36. They go to the running game behind rushing champ (and league MVP -- team's 1st ever?) DeAngelo Williams, but
back-to-back holding penalties put them in a 2nd-and-26 hole. But Jay Cutler doesn't panic, hitting Plaxico Burress (remember him?)
for 14 and Bobby Wade for 12 and the Rams dig out of it. On 3rd-and-1 from the 17 the Giants blitz -- they would shatter all football
records for blitzes in this one -- and Williams escapes it and takes it to the end zone. 7-0 Rams. Giants get it back, go three and
out, and punt. Rams pick up where they left off, but this time it's Cutler spreading the ball around through the air with 6 straight
pass plays. A short Williams run sets up another 3rd-and-1 at the NY 33. Another blitz, another Williams run -- and another Rams TD.
14-0. Coach Egemoen then reached into his bag of tricks for Domenik Hixon, he of only 3 kick returns but the 60-yard average. Rams
respect the numbers and kick angle -- and Hixon returns it for 65 yards anyway! But the Rams stuff Forte twice, Manning is incomplete
on 3rd down, and the Giants settle for a Stephen Gostowski FG to make it 14-3. Back to the bag o' tricks -- onside kick! Rams are not
looking for it but recover it anyway. Still, their offense goes nowhere and they they go three and out as the quarter ends.
2nd quarter, and this one comes oh-so-close to getting out of hand. A Manning incomplete may have been picked -- 75% chance. Rams
challenge... and lose. Two plays later it happens again -- 65% chance this time. Rams challenge again... and lose again! Giants
punt, but the Rams go nowhere and punt it back. And this time Manning finally gets the offense moving, mixing (of course) short passes
and Forte runs until they find themselves with a 1st down at the STL 27. But Manning thows three straight incompletes, so Gostowski
kicks another FG and it's 14-6. Rams get it back and the defense is in "full gamble" mode. Williams is correctly keyed -- and runs
for 16 anyway. Gonzalez is correctly doubled -- and catches it for 7 anyway. On 3rd-and-2 Williams is correctly keyed again, but
converts it anyway. Giants obsessed with Williams now, so Cutler throws deep for T.O. and he's wide open for a 36-yard TD and it's
21-6 with about two minutes left. Back comes Manning, desperate for a score before halftime. He drives the Giants quickly but time
is slipping away. Facing a 4th-and-5 at their own 48 with 13 seconds to play, he finds Visanthe Shiancoe running free in the middle
of the field and hits him. Shiancoe bobs and weaves down the field for a 39-yard gain to the Rams 13 and gets out of bounds -- but
time runs out. Rams dodge a last-minute bullet and head into halftime with a 21-6 lead and the second half kickoff coming to them.
3rd quarter, this time the Rams look for the onside kick, get it, and recover. But three Williams runs don't get anywhere, so Jason
Hanson comes in and nails a 49-yard FG. 24-6 Rams and the Giants need to get it in gear to save their season. A glimmer of hope as
Manning hits Jones for 38 on a short slant, but two plays later Manning is picked by Zach Dials and the Rams have it back. A huge
personal foul penalty puts them in a hole, and on 3rd-and-22 they gamble with a long pass to T.O. But the defense is perfect, Chris
McAllister picks it off, and the Giants are alive at the STL 32. They get as close as the 15, but a holding penalty pushes them
back and forces them to settle for a 40-yard FG -- which Gostowski misses. Another bullet dodged by the Rams. But the offense now
is almost non-existent, and they quickly punt the ball back to the Giants and here they come again. Forte gets dinged and is
replaced by some guy named Kolby Smith, who helps Manning move it down the field and suddenly it's 1st down at the Rams 11. But
again the defense stiffens, and again Gostowski has to kick it. 24-9 as the quarter ends.
4th quarter, Rams face an immediate 3rd-and-1 deep in their own territory. They convert, barely, but there is a challenge possibility
(26%). Giants gamble, but the ruling on the field stands, and it costs the Giants a time out. Rams keep the ball and achieve a mini-
drive, kill a little clock, and then punt it back. Giants get it at their own 20 with 6:34 to play, down 15. Manning takes the game --
and season -- his shoulders. Mixing in the now-rested Forte, he throws the ball all over the field against multi DBs in pass defense.
The Rams now aren't even trying to stop the Giants -- only slow them down. It only kindasorta works. A 14-yarder to Hixon makes it
1st-and-goal at the 1 with 2:08 to play. Rams stiffen, which kills some clock, but on 4th down Manning finds Forte for the TD. Giants
opt for 2, and Manning hits Shiancoe, and it's now 24-17 with 1:42 to play. Giants have no timeouts left (two used on the big drive
and the other lost on the failed challenge early in the quarter).
Another onside kick, Rams are ready, and recover. They check out the clock and figure three runs and a punt should give the Giants the
ball deep in their own end with only a few seconds to play, tops. Didn't work out that way.
Two Williams runs go nowhere against the smothering D. Clock down to 45 seconds, 3rd down. It's borderline kneel-down time. Williams
carries again, but for the Rams disaster strikes -- flag! The clock stops! A holding penalty is called against the Rams, which is
declined... but instead of the game being over (or almost), 41 seconds remain. Giants go for the block, Adam Podlesh gets it away,
touchback. Manning gets the ball at the 20 with 34 seconds and no timeouts. A long pass to Jones is incomplete, then a Joey Porter
sack, followed by a spike because otherwise the game ends. Now 4th-and-18 with 10 seconds left. Another long one to Jones --
incomplete. A Cutler kneel and that's it. Rams move on.
Game MVP was DeAngelo Williams (25-117, 2 TDs, mostly keyed) but props to the Rams OL who weathered countless blitzes without giving up
a sack. Manning threw 47 passes, and it seemed like the Giants had the ball the entire game.
The Super Bowl Matchup
So, we are down to two and they are the top seeds from each conference, two powerful teams with veteran coaches, each looking for a
different kind of validation in the big game.
Roberto Tosco is making his second appearance in the Super Bowl, his first was a tight loss to a stacked Jacksonville squad two seasons
ago so Roberto is looking for his first win in the big game (though the Jets do have a Super Bowl victory under previous ownership).
Roberto is in a similar situation to his upcoming opponent as hes had one of the best teams for 3 straight seasons now and would like
to show that he can build a club that can win the big one.
On the other side is a guy who you would think has nothing to prove as hes got the highest winning percentage in the regular season all
time, hes won many playoff games and even has a Super Bowl win. The key though is Bob Colleary is calling it quit after 10 seasons and
while he has one SB win, he also has 3 losses in the big game and hed like to go out with one more win and also set himself up as only
the second owner to win two Super Bowls in the ISFLs 13 seasons.
This game has high powered offenses and better than average defenses and depending on which side gets the upper hand, this has the
chance of being a very tight ball game, but whether its high scoring or close to the vest is going to depend on how Jeff Garcia and
Jay Cutler can play when the game is the most important.
If I had to call this one, I think its going to be a very close ball game, probably with scoring in the 20s and a fourth quarter
score will win if for the Rams as Bob Colleary goes out on top with Jay Cutler as the MVP of Super Bowl XIII.
III. STANDINGS
http://www.blades99.com/ISFL/Standings09.htm
IV. RESULTS Wildcard Round
New York(N) 17 St. Louis 24
Indianapolis 14 New York(A) 27
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V. SCHEDULE
Super Bowl XIII at Miami
St. Louis Rams vs New York Jets
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VI. TRANSACTIONS
AFC
BUF
CHI Returned Mike Cox to FA pool.
CLE
DAL
DEN
HOU
IND Returned James Thrash to FA pool.
MIN
NE -
NYJ
PIT
SD -
SF - Returned Issac Sowells to FA pool.
TEN
NFC
ARZ
ATL -
CAR Returned Shaun Suisham to FA pool.
DET
GB -
JAX
KC -
MIA
NO -
NYG
PHI Returned Josh Bell to FA pool.
SEA
STL
TB -
DRAFT PICKS FORFEITED:
None
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VII. OTHER NEWS:
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:
WEEK ONE
OFFENSE: Larry Johnson, PHI 16 carries, 106 yards, 3 TDs
DEFENSE: Mike Brown, CHI 2 INTs, 5 tackles
WEEK TWO
OFFENSE: Tony Romo, NO 21 of 29, 246 yards, 4 TDs
DEFENSE: Chris Gamble, IND 2 INTs, 9 tackles
WEEK THREE:
OFFENSE: Philip Rivers, GB 24 of 32, 267 yards, 3 TDs
DEFENSE: LaMarr Woodley, SEA 2 sacks, 1 INT, 7 tackles
WEEK FOUR:
OFFENSE: Greg Jennings, IND 6 catches, 165 yards, 2 TDs
DEFENSE: Patrick Willis, TB 19 tackles
WEEK FIVE:
OFFENSE: Jason Campbell, PHI 22 of 25, 302 yards, 3 TDs
DEFENSE: Demarcus Ware, JAX 3 sacks, 4 tackles
WEEK SIX:
OFFENSE: Michael Turner, NYJ 30 carries, 188 yard, 4 TDs
DEFENSE: Will Allen, SF 2 INTs, 5 Tackles
WEEK SEVEN:
OFFENSE: Matt Cassel, DAL 20 of 23, 216 yards, 4 TDs
DEFENSE: Brandon McDonald, KC 3 INTs, 11 tackles, 1 TD
WEEK EIGHT:
OFFENSE: TJ Houshmanzadeh, TB 11 catches, 168 yards, 3 TDs
DEFENSE: Karlos Dansby, DAL 3 sacks, 8 tackles
WEEK NINE:
OFFENSE: Eli Manning, HOU 20 of 26, 264 yards ,4 TDs
DEFENSE: Michael Griffin, PIT 3 INTs, 5 tackles
WEEK TEN:
OFFENSE: Kyle Orton, CHI 36 of 56, 439 yards, 3 TDs
DEFENSE: Sean Rogers, PHI 2 sacks, 8 tackles
WEEK ELEVEN:
OFFENSE: Ryan Grant, IND 37 carries, 182 yards, 1 TD
DEFENSE: Terrence Newman, PHI 2 INTs, 6 tackles
WEEK TWELVE:
OFFENSE: Matt Forte, NYG 32 carries, 152 yards, 2 TDs
DEFENSE: Demarcus Ware, JAX 3 sacks, 4 tackles
WEEK THIRTEEN:
OFFENSE: Michael Turner, NYJ 26 carries, 147 yards, 2 TDs
DEFENSE: Justin Tuck, HOU 3 sacks, 8 tackles
WEEK FIFTEEN
OFFENSE: Steve Slaton, CAR 23 carries, 126 yards, 3 TDs
DEFENSE: James Harrison, NYJ 4 sacks, 6 tackles
WEEK SIXTEEN
OFFENSE: Reggie Wayne, JAX 12 catches, 194 yards, 3 TDs
DEFENSE: Aaron Kampman, NYG 4 sacks, 6 tackles
WEEK SEVENTEEN
OFFENSE: Brandon Jacobs, ARZ 18 carries, 94 yards, 3 TDs
DEFENSE: Robert Mathis, DET 3 sacks, 10 tackles
WILDCARD ROUND
OFFENSE: Jason Campbell, PHI 18 for 27, 290 yards, 4 TDs
DEFENSE: Mario Williams, TEN 2 sacks, 6 tackles
DIVSIONAL ROUND
OFFENSE: Aaron Rodgers, IND 25 for 36, 322 yards, 3 TDs
DEFENSE: Joey Porter, STL 3 sacks, 5 tackles, 1 Stuff, 1 Hurry
CONFERENCE FINALS
OFFENSE: Jeff Garcia, NYJ 24 for 31, 310 yards, 3 TDs
DEFENSE: Joe Porter, STL 2 sacks, 3 tackles, 4 hurries
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