The Playoff Preview: Week 4 Update

Anglia Dark Knights

Player	Pts
Kitna, Jon DET QB	17
Graham, Earnest TBB RB	21
Taylor, Fred JAC RB	6
Cotchery, Jerricho NYJ WR	8
Mason, Derrick BAL WR	2
Witten, Jason DAL TE	16
Dawson, Phil CLE PK	4
Haye, Jovan TBB DT	4
Taylor, Jason MIA DE	8
Fujita, Scott NOS LB	10
Henderson, E.J. MIN LB	8
Pace, Calvin ARI LB	11
Clements, Nate SFO CB	6
Newman, Terence DAL CB	6
Harris, Chris CAR S	12
Total:	139

Washington Braves

Player	Pts
Hasselbeck, Matt SEA QB	25
Barber, Marion DAL RB	17
Tomlinson, Ladainian SDC RB	28
Engram, Bobby SEA WR	11
Johnson, Andre HOU WR	17
Johnson, Chad CIN WR	13
Vinatieri, Adam IND PK	6
Rogers, Shaun DET DT	2
Umenyiora, Osi NYG DE	9
Brooks, Derrick TBB LB	9
Crowell, Angelo BUF LB	6
Dansby, Karlos ARI LB	10
Phillips, Shaun SDC LB	8
Reed, Edward BAL S	5
Sanders, Bob IND S	10
Total:	176

The Playoff Preview: Week 3 Update

I missed one prediction last week, as the Anglia Dark Knights are proving to be a tougher opponent than I initially thought. In fact, heading into the weekend the Dark Knights look like the favorite against the 2006 champion Austin Predators. Austin has dealt with major injuries all year, and this week will be no different. The receiving corps has been decimated by injury, but the big two of Joey Galloway and Tony Gonzalez look like they will be available for this week's game. RB Selvin Young threw up a dud on Thursday, and with Dark Knights RBs Earnest Graham and Fred Taylor playing well of late the Predators have a lot to overcome after Young's three-point game. Another factor against the Predators is the weather, with QB Derek Anderson due to battle the Bills in inclement conditions. On the flip side, Anglia QB Jon Kitna is playing in sunny San Diego this week. All this adds up to a Dark Knights victory in this game.

Brady vs. Hasselbeck. Peterson vs. Tomlinson. Johnson & Johnson vs. Wayne & Fitzgerald. This is undoubtedly going to be a high-scoring shootout between the top two teams in the NFFL. Halifax Armada QB Tom Brady might be dealing with bad weather in his game, but since the opponent is the Jets he'll definitely be looking to set passing records in that game. Don't be surprised if Brady sets NFFL records in this game either. The Washington Braves struck the first blow, with WR Andre Johnson scoring 14 points on Sunday. WR Chad Johnson is in for a big game tonight against the 49ers as well. The defenses look pretty even on each side. I'm going to have to give the edge to Washington. While Brady will probably outscore Hasselbeck, Braves RB Tomlinson will get a lot of those points back, and the team's other RB Marion Barber will have a big game against the rival Eagles. I'm also wary of Halifax WR Larry Fitzgerald, who's been limited this week. The injury didn't affect him last week, so don't count him out, but I have my doubts this week. I'll take the Braves to win this game by a few points as the teams combine for nearly 350 points.

The Playoff Preview: Week 2 Update

Well, I correctly predicted the winners of the first-week games. I did have the second round matchup wrong in the NFC, which amounts to a slip-of-the mind by myself in regards to the rules.

AFC Update

Anglia vs California should still be a close game, but Cali is going to be hard to beat for the rest of the playoffs. Xtreme QB Drew Brees has a fantastic matchup on Monday night against Atlanta, so the Dark Knights will need a big lead heading into the game. Dark Knights LB Scott Fujita won't be able to keep up with the Cali QB. Will the offense be able to win the game for Anglia? The RBs have great matchups. QB Jon Kitna will be throwing all day in an attempt to keep up with the Cowboys (not that that team runs the ball much anyway). I'll stick with my original prediction of a Cali win, though this will definitely be a close game.

Austin LB Zach Thomas was finally put on the IR, ending his season, so the Predators will be lining up extra DBs for their playoff games. Austin WR Joey Galloway is injured and a game-time decision, as is Predators RB Jesse Chatman. With Selvin Young back to backup status, the Predators are going to struggle mightily to score points. Cincinnati suffered an injury to Reggie Bush, but the Keepers have enough solid backups with good matchups that it shouldn't be a problem. Cincy QB Phillip Rivers is ugly on the road. But the WRs will do enough to make up for any deficiencies from the rest of the offense. I'm flipping on my prediction; the injuries prove too much for the Predators and Cincinnati wins this game.

NFC UPDATE

OK, I swtiched the teams but it doesn't change the fact that Halifax and Washington have dominated this season and will be near impossible to beat. Boston has a lot of stars on offense, and if they all play to potential then this game will be a shootout. I'll still take the team with Tom Brady though. Glasgow got a nice game from WR Bernard Berrian, so this contest could be closer than originally expected. The Braves' offense just looks too dominant and I'll stick to my prediction of them winning this game and facing Halifax in the NFC Championship.

The Playoff Preview

After a long layoff, I'm back to preview the 2007 NFFL Playoffs. Will the NFC be able to take the title away from the AFC this year? Or will the AFC come through with another NFFL Bowl championship?

Round 1

Cincinnati (9-7) vs Greenville (5-11)

The Keepers are rolling into the playoffs on a hot streak, winners of three straight games (all in their division). The Keepers' offense features a deep RB rotation and a stud trio of WRs. The Cincinnati defense suffered a big loss when LB Mike Peterson went down with a season-ending injury, and if LB Lofa Tatupu (currently questionable) can't overcome his injury problems then the defense will be the ultimate Achilles' heel that brings the Keepers down. The Storm suffered a one-point loss in the last game of the season. QB Jay Cutler is solid as the starter, but the team doesn't have enough depth to overcome the loss of RB Marshawn Lynch. The Storm WRs have been absolutely abysmal this season. The strength of the team is definitely on defense, where LBs Ray Lewis, Julian Peterson and Ernie Sims are all over 110 points. The secondary and D-Line are also solid. The defense is going to have to play flawlessly for the Storm to beat the Keepers, and I don't see it happening.

The pick: Cincinnati by 22.

New Mexico (9-7) vs California (6-10)

Last week, the Xtreme toppled the Raiders 162-137 and ultimately cost New Mexico the division title. And it hasn't gotten any better this week; New Mexico QB Brett Favre was injured in Thursday's game and ended up posting a total of -2 points. With California QB Drew Brees as hot as almost any player in the league, the Raiders might have dug themselves a hole they won't be able to escape. Of course, the rest of the Raiders offense (led by WR Randy Moss) could easily pick up the slack and outscore a California offense that has been mediocre most of the season. California has the best defensive player in this game, but New Mexico has a much deeper defense. Even with the California win last week, I'd be tempted to take New Mexico if I didn't already see a -2 at the QB position.

The pick: California by four.

Fairfax (11-5) vs Glasgow (8-8)

Despite the three game swing in the records, these are two evenly matched teams when healthy. Unfortunately for the Foxes, QB Donovan McNabb is out with an injury. A.J. Feeley looked decent in his last start but is anything but a lock for a repeat performance this week. RB Brian Westbrook should have another outstanding game for Fairfax, while the solid WR corps should rack up a good number of points as well. The defense is a little sparse at LB; Bradie James played on Thursday and only managed three points. The Warriors have lost two straight heading into the playoffs, but they have a great chance at knocking off the favored Foxes. QB Matt Schaub has played well and saves Glasgow from the inevitable Eli Manning meltdown. RBs Joseph Addai and Edgerrin James highlight a great running game that can match up to the Fairfax pair of Westbrook and Maurice Drew. Glasgow has a very good defense that should lead them to a victory here.

The pick: Glasgow by 10.

Lower Saxony (10-6) vs Boston (8-8)

The fireworks started early for this contest. Inferno WR Terrell Owens had a great game scoring 21 points, a total that Patriots RB Ryan Grant matched. Patriots WR Greg Jennings tacked on another 14 to give Lower Saxony the early lead. Lower Saxony QB Ben Roethlisberger has outperformed Boston QB Peyton Manning this season and has a far better matchup than his Inferno counterpart this week. The rest of the individual matchups in this game are pretty close, but the absence of DL Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila could cost the Patriots the game. Another critical matchup is Boston's Roy Williams and Antonio Gates versus Lower Saxony's Anquan Boldin and Jeremy Shockey. Since both those matchups favor Boston, I'll give them the slight edge to knock out the defending NFC champions.

The pick: Boston by eight.

Round 2

Anglia (11-5) vs California (6-10)

The Dark Knights weren't the best team in the AFC, nor did they score the most points in their division. But smart management and key personnel decisions propelled them to a late-season surge to the division title. But the playoffs might expose the Dark Knights as a good-but-not-great team. QB Jon Kitna is good. The RBs are good but missing a star-caliber #1 back. The WRs are O.K and definitely weakened by the loss of Jerricho Cotchery. The defense is good. But the Dark Knights can ill afford to have any players not show up against a hot California team. The Anglia defense should keep them in the game, but it will be up to the offense to win it.

The pick: California by two.

Austin (9-7) vs Cincinnati (9-7)

The Predators have been overcoming injuries all season. QB Marc Bulger goes down and the team turns to David Garrard and Derek Anderson, both having exceeded expectations. RB Ronnie Brown goes down and the team turns to a Jesse Chatman/Selvin Young platoon. WR Marvin Harrison goes down and the team turns to Reggie Brown and Joe Jurevicius. LB Zach Thomas goes down and the team turns to Leroy Hill and four-DB formations. It wasn't pretty, but Austin was able to win another division title. Even without Thomas, the Predator defense has been much better than the Keeper defense, so if Austin can keep up with that great Cincinnati defense they have a good shot at winning this game.

The pick: Austin by seven.

Washington (13-3) vs Boston (8-8)

Washington started the season as the favorite to win it all, and after a blazing start and a strong finish the Braves still stand as one of the only teams with a shot at winning it all. RBs LaDanian Tomlinson and Marion Barber are capable of running the team right to a huge lead, and the pass-first Seattle defense has greatly benefited Washington QB Matt Hasselbeck. With WR Andre Johnson back for the playoffs alongside Chad Johnson, it will be very difficult for most teams to match the Braves' offense step-for-step. The depth of the LB corps doesn't leave much room for opponents to catch up on defense. Boston is a good team, but Washington is a great team.

The pick: Washington by 20.

Halifax (12-4) vs Glasgow (8-8)

Tom Brady. Adrian Peterson. Reggie Wayne. Larry Fitzgerald. Kellen Winslow. An 11-game winning streak to finish the season. Halifax is the definitive favorite to win the championship this year, averaging 160 points a game. The defense hasn't been as dominant as the offense, but everyone on the Armada defense plays well and can definitely keep up with any other defense in the league. This game shouldn't be close.

The pick: Halifax by 32.

Round 3

Austin (9-7) vs California (6-10)

This will be a brutal game, but Austin has the defensive edge and should enter this game as the favorite.

The pick: Austin by three.

Washington (13-3) vs. Halifax (12-4)

Most probably feel like this is the actual championship game, and whomever wins this game will definitely be the NFFL Bowl favorite.

The pick: Halifax by nine.

NFFL Bowl

Austin (9-7) vs Halifax (12-4)

The Predators have played well, but they are no match for the juggernaut that is Tom Brady and the Halifax Armada.

The pick: Halifax by 25.

Eleven Games Down, Two More This Week!

New Mexico pulled out a last second-win over California on Brett Favre's overtime TD, keeping the Raiders one game ahead of the Predators, who had no trouble dispatching of the Bandits. Bertrand's Aaron Kampman scored 18 points, but he and Atari Bigby came up five points short of completing the Ground Force comeback against the Keepers. Cincinnati remains two games behind Anglia as the Dark Knights easily defeated Greenville this week.

In the NFC, the Glasgow Warriors suffered a hard-luck loss to Halifax, with the Warriors scoring the fourth-most points in Week 8 but still adding a tick to the loss column. Halifax's QB Tom Brady was just too much yet again and Halifax remains tied with Boston for first place after the Inferno scored a nine-point victory over Chicago. The NFC East held the only upset of the week, as the Braves suffered their second loss of the season, falling to Lower Saxony. Fairfax pounded Utica in the other NFC East game this week.

Week 9 holds another AFC vs NFC showdown and this will be the last opportunity middle-of-the-pack teams have to make a move on the division crown. After this slate of games, three single-contest weeks loom before the NFFL playoffs, and all those games will feature intra-division contests.

NFC EAST vs AFC SOUTH

Washington and Fairfax vs Cincinnati and Greenville. The NFC has the clear advantage in these four games. Washington should probably sweep, though Cincinnati will definitely put up a fight. The Cincinnati/Fairfax should be pretty entertaining.

Lower Saxony and Utica vs Anglia and Bertrand. Can the Dark Knights keep it up? They average more points per game than both of their opponents this week. DL Jason Taylor's absence will sting for Anglia. Utica and Bertrand, two usual front-runners stuck in the division mud, match up evenly.

NFC NORTH vs AFC WEST

Halifax and Boston vs New Mexico and Austin. The marquee matchup of the week features the top two teams from these two divisions, including three 7-4 teams and one 6-5 defending champion. Halifax is favored for as long as Tom Brady is the QB. Boston and the two AFC teams score about the same amount of points. Boston LB Brian Urlacher is off. Austin will be without Jesse Chatman, so a Selvin Young start might be in the cards.

Glasgow and Chicago vs California and Carson City. Despite being at the bottom of the division, the Warriors and Goodfellas score close to 130 points per game. Inversely, the Xtreme and Bandits score around 100 points per game. Glasgow is a depleted team this week and could suffer a crippling loss or two to their AFC foes, with QB Eli Manning off among others.

Good luck to everyone this week!

Week 8 Preview: Division Time!

Week 8 is a very important week for the contenders. As all games are being played within the division this week, this might be the game that decides a future tiebreaker for the division title and a first-round playoff bye.

AFC SOUTH

#1 Anglia (7-3) vs #3 Greenville (4-6)

With a two-game lead in the division and a 2-0 record in intra-division play, the Dark Knights are the odds-on favorite to win the AFC South. The Storm is also 2-0 in the division, and a win here would put them right in the hunt for the division crown. Anglia QB Jon Kitna and Greenville QB Brian Griese will be facing each other this week. Griese has been excellent as the Bears starter and should thrive against a weak Detroit secondary. Kitna is usually good for solid numbers regardless of the opponent, though the Bears have a lot of talent at DB. Anglia will be without leading receiver Derrick Mason this week. Greenville has to overcome the loss of four LBs to the bye, including top scorers Julian Peterson and Ray Lewis.

#2 Cincinnati (5-5) vs #4 Bertrand (3-7)

Both teams enter the game on losing streaks after being swept in last week's doubleheader and both teams are also winless in division play. Bertrand in particular has sunk to new lows; once the class of the AFC South and perpetual division champion, the Ground Force have lost five straight and sit in the division cellar. This week will also be difficult for the Ground Force, as their top rusher and top receiver are off in Week 8. Bertrand QB Carson Palmer will need a monster week against Pittsburgh to compensate for the loss of those two key players. Cincinnati will be without top LB Lofa Tatupu but will be able to overcome the loss thanks to their new-found RB depth and solid WR corps. Cincinnati WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh is as solidly consistent as they come and WR Kevin Curtis should have a great day against a bad Minnesota pass defense.

AFC WEST

#1 New Mexico (6-4) vs #3 California (2-8)

The AFC West is looking like a two-dog race, and if California is to have any shot at coming back and winning the division they'll need to beat the division-leading Raiders in Week 8. California QB Drew Brees has stepped up his game after being a weekly Dud of the Week contender early in the season. Facing the 49ers this week, Brees should rack up a great number of points and continue his hot streak. The Xtreme will be missing top DB Roy Williams and #3 LB DeMorrio Williams this week. Xtreme leading rusher Derrick Ward is injured and will miss the game against Miami, so Reuben Droughns might be called upon to start for California. New Mexico will be missing one guy at each defensive spot but has the depth to overcome the bye. New Mexico QB Brett Favre plays a tough Denver secondary.

#2 Austin (5-5) vs #4 Carson City (1-9)

In the midst of a nine-game losing streak, the Bandits will have a tough time turning it around against a Predators team that's currently undefeated in the AFC South. Carson City's best QB is off this week, meaning the team will have to start Cleo Lemon again. Bandits RB Travis Henry is a gametime decision. As the only good option at RB for Carson City, Henry needs to play this game. The Predators lost QB David Garrard to injury for a few weeks and suffered another poor performance from Marc Bulger. Lucky for Austin, they secured Derek Anderson in a trade after Week 6. He looks like the starter from here on out and faces a bad St. Louis defense this week. Austin also lost RB Ronnie Brown to a year-ending injury and backup RB Jesse Chatman will have to fill his shoes. Austin LBs Leroy Hill (bye) and Zach Thomas (injury) are out, leaving the Predators very thin at LB. Newly-signed DB Cortland Finnegan will start.

NFC EAST

#1 Washington (9-1) vs #3 Lower Saxony (5-5)

Washington has been steamrolling through the NFFL but faces a big challenge this week against defending NFC-champion Lower Saxony. The Braves only have one active QB this week, and Tarvaris Jackson is expected to miss that game due to injury. Washington will also be without starting RB Marion Barber and #3 WR Bobby Engram, leaving the usually potent offense weakened. A bulk of the responsibility will fall on Braves RB LaDanian Tomlinson's shoulders. Washington DB Ed Reed, the team's leading DB, is also off this weekend. The Lower Saxony offense is filled with players with good matchups. Patriots QB Ben Roethlisberger faces a horrible Cincinnati defense and Patriots RB Brandon Jacobs should run wild against the Dolphins. Lower Saxony WR Anquan Boldin is off, but the team has great depth at the position.

#2 Fairfax (6-4) vs #4 Utica (5-5)

Seven of the eight NFC teams are either 6-4 or 5-5, so this week will be an important part of sorting out the playoff picture. In the NFC East, Fairfax is looking like a solid bet for a playoff spot, but another loss for Utica would put them in danger of missing the playoffs. The Devils have been resurgent after a poor start to the season. Utica QB Tony Romo has been the biggest part of putting the Devils back in the playoff race, but he will miss the game and the team has no other QB that is guaranteed playing time. Starting LB Michael Boley and DB DeAngelo Hall are also off for the Devils. Fairfax RB Maurice Jones-Drew was injured in the Monday night game and will be a gametime decision, meaning the Foxes might have to turn to a backup WR like Andre Davis on Sunday. The bye has caused Fairfax to be thin at LB, so the team will start four DBs this week.

NFC NORTH

#1 Halifax (6-4) vs #4 Glasgow (5-5)

Despite being the first- and last-place teams in the division, only one game separates the Armada and the Warriors. The division standings are more indicative of team strength; despite the 6-4 record, Halifax is tied for the league lead in points scored with the 9-1 Braves. Halifax QB Tom Brady has been unstoppable, averaging over eight points more per game than the number two scorer in the league. Armada RB Adrian Peterson looks like the starting RB for Minnesota moving forward, which only increases his already sky-high value. Halifax suffers only one key loss this week, with WR Larry Fitzgerald on a bye. Glasgow will be without RBs Larry Johnson and Edgerrin James and leading DL Darnell Dockett. The Glasgow players have good matchups by and large but will have a tough time keeping up with Halifax.

#2 Boston (6-4) vs #3 Chicago (5-5)

This Boston lineup will have a lot of holes this weekend. Leading rusher Willis McGahee, RB Jerious Norwood, leading WR Terrell Owens, K Matt Stover, top DL Jared Allen, #2 LB Donnie Edwards and #2 Ken Hamlin are all off this week for the Inferno. Any team led by Boston QB Peyton Manning will always have a chance on Sunday, and Boston has great depth at WR, with Lee Evans entering the lineup this week with Antonio Gates, Roy Williams, and Calvin Johnson. But the team has no alternatives for Stover or Allen and only a struggling Nick Collins at DB opposite Ronde Barber. Chicago has a great opportunity to gain ground in the division in this game with all the Boston byes. Goodfellas QB Vince Young should be back and WR Plaxico Burress should have a field day against Miami. Chicago will be missing two DLs but still should have the upper hand in this game.

Good luck to all of you!

Can They Be Stopped?

Another couple huge games from Washington and Halifax have them on top of the two NFC divisions and tied in points scored, averaging almost 160 points a game. No other NFFL teams are within 20 points-per-game of the Braves and the Armada. So, much like the NFL's Patriots and Colts, the rest of the league is trying to figure out how to stop these juggernauts.

On to the Weekly Review:

Washington over New Mexico 164-158
Washington over California 164-125

The Braves scored the most points in Week 8 but had a difficult time disposing of the AFC West-leading New Mexico Raiders. Washington was in a hole with four players starting on Monday night. One scored zero, but the other three combined for 34 points, led by DB Bob Sanders. Washington DL Osi Umenyiora returned a fumble for a TD and notched a sack to finish with 25 points, which led the team. New Mexico was led by Randy Moss's 24 points, and QB Trent Dilfer had a positive day scoring 13. Raider DL Elvis Dumervil was tops on defense with 16. The Xtreme played very well in the other Washington game, with LB DeMeco Ryans returning a fumble for a TD and finishing with 33 points, the high score on the team. Embattled QB Drew Brees had another solid game with 18 points.

Halifax over Cincinnati 153-131
Halifax over Bertrand 153-88

The Armada actually didn't play well as a whole. The team suffered two zeroes and only one great game. Fortunately for Halfax, that great game was one of the best of the season. QB Tom Brady, the leading candidate for league MVP, threw six TDs and scored 50 points in this game, easily the best performance of the week. RB Adrian Peterson and WR Reggie Wayne also crossed into double-digits on offense, while DL Andre Carter scored 13 to lead the defense. The Keepers got a strong performance from their running game, a facet of the Cincinnati game that's getting better as the season progresses. RBs Reggie Bush and Kevin Jones combined for 30 points. K Robbie Gould and DB Rodney Harrison had the next best point total with 12. Bertrand was a mess, with one WR in the negatives and only three players in double digits, led by QB Carson Palmer's 13 points.

New Mexico over Fairfax 158-150

While the Raiders couldn't hang on against the Braves, they were able to score a split by defeating the Foxes. Fairfax also had a huge point total this week but ran into an even bigger day from New Mexico. Foxes WR Wes Welker led the team with 25 points, and QB Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook combined for 27. LB Bradie James led the defense with 17. Not to be forgotten, the New Mexico kicking game was one of the keys to victory. Raiders K Josh Brown hit 7 total kicks for 15 points, outscoring the Fairfax kicker by eight, which was the final margin of victory. Fairfax missed big days from bench WRs Andre Davis (16) and Kevin Walter (15) as well as an interception return for TD from bench DB Jonathan Joseph (17).

Boston over Cincinnati 138-131
Boston over Greenville 138-131

Yes, you read that right. The Inferno scored just enough points to beat both opponents, winning their two games by seven points each. Boston QB Peyton Manning was nice and rested after his week off and put up 20 points to lead the team. RB Willis McGahee (17) and WR Terrell Owens (16) also had big games for the Inferno, while Boston DL Jared Allen led the defense with 17. Four Greenville defenders were above a dozen points, including LB Ray Lewis with 15. QB Brian Griese led the Storm with 18 points. But bench QB Jay Cutler had 27 and would have won this game for Greenville. While the Cincinnati backs had a solid day, the best RB effort was left on the bench. Kenny Watson had 33 points go to waste this week, as either he or WR Roddy White (17) could have given the Keepers this game.

Anglia over Glasgow 129-119
Anglia over Chicago 129-93

All Anglia knows how to do is win football games. The majority might not agree with the team's roster decisions most of the time, but the fact is this Dark Knights team is now 7-3, two games up in the AFC South and in the midst of a three-game winning streak. DL Dwight Freeney scored a team-high 22 points after getting two sacks and forcing two fumbles. DL Jason Taylor returned a pick for a TD to finish with 12. RB Earnest Graham led the offense with 18 points and five other Dark Knight players had at least 11 points. Not all was great for Anglia: K Neil Rackers finished with -1 point, while LB Victor Hobson scored zero. Glasgow RB Larry Johnson notched a team-high 19 points and his running mate RB Joseph Addai was also in double digits. Glasgow QB Eli Manning fared well, throwing for two TDs and 15 points. Chicago really struggled with starting QB Vince Young hurt and not playing. RB LenDale White led the team with 18. LB David Thornton (11) and DB Michael Huff (10) were the only other Goodfellas with at least ten points.

Lower Saxony over California 138-125
Lower Saxony over Carson City 138-103

The Lower Saxony offense really showed up to play this week. Everyone on offense had at least nine points, with WR Laveranues Coles scoring 25 after catching two TDs to lead the group. QB Jeff Garcia added 21 with 316 passing yards while RB Brandon Jacobs ran for 17. WR Anquan Boldin led the pass-catchers with 14, with most of those points coming on two short TD grabs. The defense only combined for 37 points, with LB Paris Lenon (11) the only defender over eight. While Garcia had a great day and the Patriots scored a sweep, the two backup QBs actually outperformed the starter, with Chad Pennington throwing three TDs for 26 points and Ben Roethlisberger throwing four TDs for 31 points. The Carson City players were either really good or really bad. Five Bandits had at least a dozen points, with TE Heath Miller and LB DJ Williams each scoring a team-high 17 points. Every other Carson City player scored five points or less.

Fairfax over Austin 150-113

The Predators started Marc Bulger at QB and were completely underwhelmed by the results. As he's done all season, Bulger struggled throughout the game and posted several turnovers, something a healthy Marc Bulger doesn't do. The Austin QB finished with -1 point and was one of the main reasons the Predators suffered two losses this week. LBs Patrick Willis and Leroy Hill each had a team-high 13 points. DL Robert Mathis was almost as bad as Bulger and scored zero. Fairfax also received a solid game from RB Maurice Jones-Drew, who had 12 points, but Jones-Drew suffered an injury in the game and might be unavailable for a period of time.

Utica over Austin 127-113
Utica over Carson City 127-103

The Devils have risen from the dead and now sit at .500 after sweeping their games this week. Utica LB London Fletcher was outstanding, finishing with 27 points after returning an interception for a TD and totaling 13 tackles. Utica QB Tony Romo was solid with 15 points to lead the offense after passing for just one TD. A surprising facet of the Devils' two wins were the lack of WRs. Utica started three receivers that didn't score any points, which in most matchups would be recipe for failure. DLs Michael Strahan (13) and Tommie Harris (11) combined with Fletcher and DB Madieu Williams (11) to carry the offense to victories. And from the Just When Things Weren't Bad Enough Department: K Rob Bironas, he of the eight field goals, spent this Sunday on the Carson City bench.

Greenville over Chicago 131-93
Glasgow over Bertrand 119-88

Greenville and Glasgow ran into the two lowest point totals of the week en route to earning splits in Week 7. Rookie RB Marshawn Lynch led the Storm ground game with 15 points in this easy victory against a depleted Goodfellas team. Chicago could have started QB Kerry Collins, but in the grand scheme it wouldn't have made a difference. Three Glasgow defenders were in double-digits, led by LB Will Witherspoon's 13.

Week 7 Preview: Interconference Doubles!

The 7-1

Washington BRAVES

If there was ever a week to look forward to playing the Braves, this is it. Washington will be without leading scorer LaDanian Tomlinson, but QB Matt Hasselbeck has a cake matchup and a potential 30-point game on the horizon against the Rams. Andre Johnson and Terry Glenn still aren't ready to play though. While the Braves aren't a pushover by any means, they will be at least weakened this week. Washington faces New Mexico and California.

The 5-3s

Chicago GOODFELLAS

The Goodfellas might be in trouble this week. QB Vince Young, the only QB on the roster, is in danger of missing this week's game. RB Jamal Lewis and WR Braylon Edwards are off, as are three LBs including defensive leader Nick Barnett. Chicago will have to rely on questionable WR Plaxico Burress and one-point Hank Baskett. Chicago looks mighty vulnerable this week. Chicago faces Anglia and Greenville.

Anglia DARK KNIGHTS

Despite trading away their best players, the Dark Knights keep winning. Anglia sits in a tie for first in the AFC South. The bye week will be pretty kind to Anglia this week, with only their top DB missing among notable players and next-to-no injuries. The receiving trio of Jerricho Cotchery, Derrick Mason and Jason Witten should put up a lot of points as all have easy matchups. Anglia faces Chicago and Glasgow.

Austin PREDATORS

If Marvin Harrison is healthy enough to play, the Austin offense will be back to its original Week 1 lineup. Marc Bulger looks ready to get back on the field, and his matchup against Seattle is much easier than David Garrard's against the Colts. Recently-acquired QB Derek Anderson is off this week. Austin faces Fairfax and Utica.

Fairfax FOXES

The Foxes have amassed the same point total as the Predators and only two more than their other opponent. The Fairfax big trio of Donovan McNabb, Brian Westbrook, and Maurice Jones-Drew look back on track but face difficult opponents this week. The Foxes will only be without one notable player, DB Sean Jones. Fairfax faces AFC West co-leaders New Mexico and Austin.

New Mexico RAIDERS

The Raiders are one of the few teams to suffer big losses due to the bye week. Two of their three leading scores are off, QB Brett Favre and WR Steve Smith. The Raiders have great depth at WR and might be able to make do without Smith, but Trent Dilfer will have to start at QB if Alex Smith isn't ready. New Mexico will also be missing starting LB A.J. Hawk due to his bye and two of their four DBs due to injury. New Mexico faces Washington and Fairfax.

Cincinnati KEEPERS

The bye week will also be harsh for the Keepers. DeShawn Wynn is out, though Kevin Jones or possibly Kenny Watson will be a fine replacement. Unfortunately, starting QB Phillip Rivers is also off, and backup J.P. Losman has lost his job to a rookie. Thankfully for Cincinnati, that's all for off-week players and the team is relatively healthy, but they'll be hard-pressed to score without a QB. Cincinnati faces Halifax and Boston.

The 4-4s

Halifax ARMADA

The Armada will be without TE Kellen Winslow, WR Vincent Jackson, K Nate Keading and LB D'Qwell Jackson due to byes, but with Tom Brady and Adrian Peterson lighting up scoreboards, Halifax looks like the favorite in most matchups. Kaeding is the team's only kicker and Winslow is the team's leading pass-catcher, though the Armada has excellent depth in that area. Halifax faces Cincinnati and Bertrand.

Boston INFERNO

The Inferno have a few injuries on offense, with D.J. Hackett, Laurence Maroney and Sammy Morris all hurt. Maroney looks like he might play this week, but if not, Boston will turn to Jerious Norwood, who comes off a good game last week. The Inferno will also be missing TE Antonio Gates but have great WR depth. Boston faces Cincinnati and Greenville.

Glasgow WARRIORS

The Warriors will be without their top DB Eric Wright, starting DL Julius Peppers and WR Chris Chambers, who moved on to bye-week San Diego in a trade this week. Without Chambers, the team will have to start Michael Jenkins. LB Adalius Thomas is banged up, but Glasgow has great LB depth, rostering six LBs with at least 40 points on the season. Glasgow faces Anglia and Bertrand.

The 3-5s

Lower Saxony PATRIOTS

The Patriots leading RB is off this week, and both of their other prominent RBs are in danger of missing this week's games due to injury. Brandon Jacobs has the best shot to play and will be the starter. Two Lower Saxony WRs are off, so the team will be counting on injured WRs Laveranues Coles and Anquan Boldin to play and play well this week. Luckily for the Patriots, they play the league's two lowest scoring teams. Lower Saxony faces California and Carson City.

Bertrand GROUND FORCE

The top player at each defensive position is off this week, so the depth of the Ground Force defense will be tested. DL will be a problem, with Raheem Brock forced into starting. Bertrand QB Carson Palmer has an excellent matchup against the Jets as does struggling RB Shaun Alexander, who faces the Rams. Those two will be leaned on heavily with the holes on defense. Bertrand faces Halifax and Glasgow.

Utica DEVILS

Tony Romo, the league's second-highest scorer, should feast on Minnesota's abysmal pass defense. Top WR Donald Driver and RB DeAngelo Williams are off and much of the rest of the offensve is banged up, so Romo will probably get the lion's share of offensive points. The secondary will be without Quentin Jammer, so Rashean Mathis will start as the third DB. Utica faces Austin and Carson City.

Greenville STORM

Brian Griese looked great last week, so the team will start him over Jay Cutler, who faces a great Pittsburgh defense this week. RB Thomas Jones has a fantastic matchup against Cincinnati and should lead the team in scoring. TE Todd Heap is hurt and will probably miss this week. Two DBs are off this week and LB Ray Lewis might miss the game due to injury. Greenville faces Chicago and Boston.

The 2-6

California XTREME

The Xtreme will only be missing one player because of the bye week, but Shawne Merriman is the second-best scorer on defense and will be missed. Drew Brees finally had a great week and the team looks to stick with him and hope the big numbers are the start of a trend. I wouldn't put it past the team to sneak in an upset this week, though they do have some tough opponents. California faces Washington and Lower Saxony.

The 1-7

Carson City BANDITS

Despite season-high production from Kyle Eckel and Ben Obomanu, the Bandits only scored 63 points last week and suffered their seventh straight loss. Travis Henry is back to right the ship, and QB Kurt Warner won't miss much time after being injured last week. Warner has a shot at playing in Week 7, though Carson City will go with the more-athletic Cleo Lemon. The Bandits are another team without their top DB this week. Carson City faces Lower Saxony and Utica.

Good luck!

AFC South Nail-Biters in Week 6

Two games this week came down to a couple points, both occurring in the AFC South:

Anglia 136, Cincinnati 135

The Keepers entered Monday night only seven points behind the Dark Knights with WR Roddy White to play. White notched for 64 yards, giving him six points and leaving Cincinnati one point behind Anglia, putting the two teams in a tie for first place in the division. The other two Cincinnati WRs combined for 44 points and LB DeMarcus Ware scored 14 to lead the defense. The player of the game for Anglia was QB Derek Anderson, who scored 34 points after having a part in four TDs. Anderson was shipped to the Austin Predators after the game for a draft pick.

Greenville 124, Bertrand 122

Much like the game above, Bertrand entered the Monday night game within striking distance of Greenville, facing a five-point deficit with DB Gibril Wilson to play. Wilson could only manage three tackles, which left the Ground Force two points shy of a comeback. QB Carson Palmer led the Ground Force with 18 points and DL Aaron Kampman led the Bertrand defense with 17. The Greenville pass-catchers struggled mightily, with all four of them combining for six points. The two players that led the Storm to victory were QB Brian Griese with 27 and DB Charles Woodson with 20.

Halifax 183, Chicago 119

The Armada was the beneficiary of two huge games in their blowout victory over Chicago. The point totals were so huge that if you took the QB and one RB from each side, Chicago would have won the game. Halfax QB Tom Brady continued his amazing season with 43 points, which was 43 more than Chicago QB Vince Young had. Halifax rookie sensation RB Adrian Peterson broke off three long TDs to score 40 points. Chicago's leading points scorer was WR Braylon Edwards, who scored three TDs as well and ended the game with 24 points.

Washington 159, Utica 110

We had one more huge individual effort this week, and it came from reigning Offensive Player of the Year LaDanian Tomlinson. The Washington RB had four TDs and scored 44 points to lead his team to an easy victory. Braves QB Matt Hasselbeck had an excellent game as well, scoring 25, and LB Shaun Phillips led the defense with 21. The Utica offense had a hard time scoring outside of QB Tony Romo, who finished with 17 points. The other five offensive players combined for ten points. DB DeAngelo Hall was the star on defense with 23.

Glasgow 136, Boston 106

With a lot of players missing with a Week 6 bye, Boston predictably struggled to score points, getting a zero from the QB position and one of the WRs. That said, Glasgow still had to play well to beat the Inferno, and with QB Eli Manning and RBs Larry Johnson and Edgerrin James all with 14 points or more, they did just that. Glasgow DB Sean Taylor led all players in this game with 23 points after nabbing two interceptions and forcing a fumble. Still, the Warriors left a lot of points on the bench, with DL Julius Peppers getting 1.5 sacks and 25 points.

Fairfax 144, Lower Saxony 85

Bad day to be a Lower Saxony fan as seven Patriots scored two points or less and the Foxes rolled all over the defending NFC champion. Faifax only had six players score under eight points, including all three WRs. The RBs made up for that, with Maurice Jones-Drew scoring 29 to lead the team and Brian Westbrook adding 15. Fairfax QB Donovan McNabb also had 15, as did LB Thomas Howard, who led the Foxes defense. Three Lower Saxony players were in double digits, led by QB Jeff Garcia's 16. LB Barrett Rudd and DB Darrelle Revis each had 11.

Austin 146, California 105

California finally got a great game from Drew Brees and Donte Stallworth, but it was all for naught as they fell to the Predators this week. Brees led the team with 21 points on the strength of two TDs and no interceptions. Stallworth had 136 yards and finished with 19 points. Xtreme LB Shawne Merriman notched 2.5 sacks and led the defense with 18. Austin was without RB Willie Parker and his substitute only scored two points. The rest of the offense was fantastic, with QB David Garrard and TE Tony Gonzalez each scoring 22 to lead the team.

New Mexico 102, Carson City 63

In what can only be described as the ugliest game of the year, the Raiders came away with a convincing victory over the Bandits, who scored an NFFL-low 63 points. Acutally, it could have been much worse for the Bandits if not for RB Kyle Eckel's garbage time TD and Ben Obomanu's career-high 13-point game. Carson City DB Leigh Bodden was the star on defense with 13. Raiders WR Steve Smith led all players in this game with 20 while LB A.J. Hawk led the defense with 16. WR Santana Moss scored -2 and is one of the favorites for Dud of the Week.

Week 6 Preview: Better Late Than Never!

Cincinnati (5-2) vs. Anglia (4-3)

This is the only matchup this week that pits the top two teams in a division against each other. Cincinnati hopes that Kenny Watson gets most of the Bengals carries. The Dark Knights need a positive contribution from Earnest Graham from here on out.

Chicago (5-2) vs. Halifax (3-4)

Halifax's offense, featuring Tom Brady, Adrian Peterson, and Larry Fitzgerald, should again be a high-scoring force. Chicago sends a none-too-scary RB tandem of Jason Wright and Lendale White into battle, though Wright has a good matchup.

Austin (4-3) vs. California (2-5)

Austin rides in high after a sweep in Week 5 against two very good teams but is decimated by the bye. If Joe Jurevicius can't play, the Predators will be forced to start Jesse Chatman. California's Drew Brees has to break out sooner or later.

Fairfax (4-3) vs. Lower Saxony (3-4)

This should be an exciting one. Fairfax's Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook are back and face an easy Jets defense. Lower Saxony's chances might rest on the health of Rudi Johnson and/or a big game from the Patriot defense.

New Mexico (4-3) vs. Carson City (1-6)

Losing six of the first seven has caused the Bandits to make some wholesale changes to the team. The Carson City offense features Kyle Eckel, Kenneth Darby, Ben Obomanu, Chris Henry, and Ted Ginn Jr. Think someone's playing for 2008? Or 2011?

Boston (4-3) vs. Glasgow (3-4)

Boston's Peyton Manning is on a bye, leaving him vulnerable. Kellen Clemens might get some action against Philly so he should be the starter for the Inferno. The Inferno will be down a WR too, leaving Glasgow as the favorite this week.

Bertrand (3-4) vs. Greenville (2-5)

The only Week 6 game featuring two teams with losing records, this one could actually be one of the high-scoring contests this week. Both defenses should pile up points, but Bertrand's Carson Palmer gives the team a big edge.

Washington (6-1) vs. Utica (3-4)

Washington should get several big games this week from Matt Hasselbeck, Bobby Engram, Chad Johnson and, of course LaDanian Tomlinson. We know Utica's Tony Romo can score, but the rest of the Devils might have a problem keeping up with the league's best team.

Second Doubleheader in the Books

The WINNERS

Halifax Armada - 188 points

After five games, the Armada sported a 1-4 record despite scoring the second most points in the NFFL. Well, they made sure their bad luck wouldn't continue this week by securing the high score of the week, outscoring the #2 team by 44 points. The RB-2WR-2TE offense was a success, and all offensive players scored eight or more points, led by QB Tom Brady's 28. DB Kerry Rhodes led the defense with 23, but the spectacular play of the defensive line was the story on that side of the ball, with DLs Andre Carter and Will Smith combining for 33 points.

Cincinnati Keepers - 144 points

Not only were the Keepers the only AFC South team to secure a sweep this week, they were the only team in their division not to get swept, resulting in Cincinnati's leap to the top of the division standings. QB Phillip Rivers led the team with 28 points. The LB corps played very well, with three players in double digits including two with at least 17 points. The Keepers could have scored even more points; their leading rusher was bench RB DeShawn Wynn.

Boston Inferno - 142 points

A Week 5 sweep allowed the Inferno to gain a game on their division's leader, and Boston played well as a team. Only five Boston players scored less than nine points. QB Peyton Manning led the team with 20 and TE Antonio Gates added 18. Both RBs, both DLs, and two LBs also were in double digits. What was surprising was the lack of production at WR; Terrell Owens and Roy Williams combined for five points. That's not going to happen too many weeks.

Utica Devils - 131 points

Mired in a season-long slump, the Devils needed a big game this week to turn around their season, and a big game is exactly what they got. Despite QB Tony Romo's five interceptions and three zeroes from Utica players, Utica pulled off a sweep that included a four-point victory over the AFC West-leading New Mexico Raiders. The defense gets the game ball; four Utica defenders scored 13 points or more, including Michael Boley's team-leading 21. No Utica offensive players topped Tony Romo's 12.

Austin Predators - 130 points

The Predators had one of the toughest doubleheaders in the league, facing undefeated Washington and defending NFC-champion Lower Saxony. But thanks to a few breaks, Austin swept the contests and moved back into a tie for first in the AFC West. RB Ronnie Brown continues to lead all RBs in points, scoring 20 this week. New starting QB David Garrard turned in a solid 14. K Nick Folk had a big Monday night and scored 13. Rookie LB Patrick Willis was the only defender to top 10 points and is leading the Defensive RoY race.

Fairfax Foxes - 106 points

The Foxes struggled to score points this week with QB Donovan McNabb and RB Brian Westbrook out, but often in the NFFL it's as much who you play as how you play. Neither of Fairfax's opponents reached triple digits, providing the Foxes with a sweep in Week 5. RBs Maurice Jones-Drew (17) and Brian Leonard (13) led the team in scoring. K Stephen Gostkowski and LB Bart Scott scored 10 and were the only other players in double digits. QB Trent Edwards got the start in McNabb's absence and scored five.

The LOSERS

Anglia Dark Knights - 132 points

This was definitely not the week to be a Dark Knight fan. Despite scoring a bunch of points, Anglia caught a little bit of the Halifax syndrome, losing both games to teams that had monster weeks (ironically, one of those teams was Halifax). The defense played well, four players scoring in double digits. LB Will Witherspoon led the team with 22 and DL Jason Taylor added 18. QB Jon Kitna was the main culprit, turning in a zero.

Lower Saxony Patriots - 111 points

Losing WR Santonio Holmes during warmups definitely hurt the Patriots and set the tone for the weekend. Beside K Kris Wilson leading the team with 16 points (and it's never good when a kicker leads a team in scoring), none of the players played all too well. QB Ben Roethlisberger and WR Greg Jennings were solid, scoring 14 points each. LB Barrett Ruud led the defense with 11. No one stepped up with a big game though, something the Patriots have relied on coming from the rushing attack in the past.

Carson City Bandits - 99 points

The Bandits sink further into the depths of the AFC basement after being swept in Week 5. The two TEs played fantastically, with Ben Watson scoring 23 to lead the team and Heath Miller adding 10. The other four players on offense combined for five points and were largely responsible for the loss. The Bandits also learned that QB Matt Leinart would be lost for the season. DB Ike Taylor had a great day, scoring 17 in the losses.

Bertrand Ground Force - 97 points

The Ground Force was another team without a lot of firepower this week. WR Patrick Crayton led the team with 13 points, and only two other players scored as many as 10 points. The other two WRs scored zeroes this week. RB Shaun Alexander also played poorly, scoring two. Bench RB Kenton Keith would have won one game for Betrand if he had started, as the backup scored 27 points on the bench. Two backup pass-catchers were also in double digits, meaning Bertrand left a lot on the bench this week.

California Xtreme - 87 points

The Xtreme failed to reach the 100-point plateau again this week, with a majority of the players scoring five points or less. WR Donte Stallworth led the team with 13 and DB Michael Lewis had the most points on defense with 10. QB Drew Brees continues to fail to justify his record contract; he scored only six points against a poor secondary. Backup Jason Campbell is clearly the better QB at this point. RB Reuben Droughns, WR Brandon Stokley and DL Alex Brown only scored a point each.

Greenville Storm - 85 points

The Storm had the worst week of any team in this doubleheader, and the blame can be placed on almost the entire team's shoulders. Only LB Julian Peterson with 14 points scored in double digits. One other player had nine points (RB Marshawn Lynch) and one other player had eight points (LB Ernie Sims). WR Mark Clayton and TE Todd Heap were both shut out. It might be time to give up
on Clayton. Backups Brian Griese (18) and Richard Marshall (15) both did well on the bench and might get to start in the future.

The SPLITS

New Mexico Raiders - 127 points

The Raiders really underperformed on offense and it led to the team getting only one win this week. RBs Frank Gore and Clinton Portis combined for only 13 while WR Randy Moss scored four, his first bad game this year. QB Brett Favre (14) and Steve Smith (10) were the only decent offensive players. In fact, the Raiders might have been swept if not for the stellar play of the secondary. Both Carlos Rogers and Aaron Ross returned interceptions for TDs and combined for 42 points. Ross had two interceptions in his game.

Washington Braves - 122 points

The winning streak is over for the Braves but by getting one win the Braves still have the best record in the NFFL at 6-1. RB LaDanian Tomlinson and TE Dallas Clark both scored in double digits while the rest of the offense combined for 11 points. The defense played very well, four players scoring at least a dozen points. QB Matt Hasselbeck had a very bad game and scored only two points, but with a primetime game against New Orleans on tap for next week he should turn it around quickly.

Chicago Goodfellas - 112 points

The Goodfellas still lead the division but two NFC North teams gained a game after Chicago only managed a split in Week 5. This was another team that had lots of problems on offense mixed with a great effort from the defense. WRs Plaxico Burress and Braylon Edwards combined for 29 points; the other four members of the offense combined for five points. The RBs scored one each. However, each of the three LBs scored 15 points while DB Charles Tillman returned to the lineup to score a dozen.

Glasgow Warriors - 108 points

Glasgow was the other team to end the day with one win and one loss, and the loss caused them to slip into a tie for last in the division, two games behind Chicago. QB Eli Manning led the team with 18 and WR Torry Holt scored 16. RB Edgerrin James was decent with eight points. The other three Warrior offensive players had one point each, and that includes former workhorse RB Larry Johnson. LB Jarret Johnson led the defense with a dozen.

Congrats to the winners! To everyone else, it's time to step it up! Next week marks the halfway point of the season and a few more off weeks could have you on the outside looking in.

Week 5 Preview: The Second Doubleheader

Let's attack Week 5 with a different format:

AFC South

Anglia (4-1)

The Dark Knights enter Week 5 on a three-game winning streak, having swept their first doubleheader and defeated Austin in Week 4. The bad news is that Anglia might be without Travis Henry for the rest of the year, Henry having apparently failed another drug test. After trading away Frank Gore, this news would be doubly disastrous for the Dark Knights, who would then be forced into a rotation with Fred Taylor, Warrick Dunn and Earnest Graham. QB Jon Kitna will need to continue averaging 20 points per game to keep the offense afloat. WR Derrick Mason has been limited in practice and could be a late scratch. DL Jason Taylor needs to find the spark he had in 2006. Anglia faces Boston (2-3) and Halifax (1-4) this week.

Bertrand (3-2)

A slow start has the Ground Force sitting out of first place, a rarity for the franchise, but a sweep this week should give them at worst a tie atop the division. Unfortunately, leading point-scorer Carson Palmer is off this week and the team is forced to start Steve McNair at QB. RB Shaun Alexander has a tough match against the Steelers, but it looks like Ron Dayne will start again against Dolphins, which should lead to a double-digit performance provided the team doesn't call too many outside pitches this week. Besides Palmer, the rest of the team remains intact this week, and we should get our first look at DB Atari Bigby, whom the Ground Force signed this week. Bertrand faces Chicago (4-1) and Boston (2-3).

Cincinnati (3-2)

For those who don't know, the Keepers currently carry nine RBs on the roster. This means Cincinnati has had to sacrifice depth at other positions, and even in a week where only four teams are on bye, this Cincinnati squad is having to dig deep on their rosters to find a starting lineup. Luckily, injury hasn't struck the team fatally. At WR, the Keepers will be without their top two performers, instead starting Brandon Marshall, Roddy White and Devery Henderson, the last of whom only has four points this season. At DB, the Keepers will have to hope Rodney Harrison is on the top of his game returning from suspension. Cincinnati faces Chicago (4-1) and Glasgow (2-3).

Greenville (2-3)

Greenville rolls into the Week 5 doubleheader almost completely healthy, with DB Daneil Bullocks on the IR and only TE Todd Heap and DL Kalimba Edwards threats to miss the game. However, Heap is the team's best receiver after four weeks and losing him would make sweeping the doubleheader nearly impossible. Only one other Storm WR has as many as 20 points, so the running game, Thomas Jones and Marshawn Lynch, will be relied on heavily. The Greenville LB corps has been fantastic to this point, with Julian Peterson leading the team by scoring 60 points. Big days from all four Storm LBs will be essential to the team's success. Greenville faces Glasgow (2-3) and Halifax (1-4).

AFC West

New Mexico (3-2)

The AFC's leading point scorer, New Mexico will look to extend their lead in the AFC West in Week 5's doubleheader. WRs Santana Moss and Hines Ward will miss the game and Jerry Porter is off this week. That leaves Roscoe Parrish to join Randy Moss and Steve Smith in the starting lineup. Parrish will actually see his role increase in Buffalo due to the injury to Peerless Price. Only one starting defender has more than 21 points. New Mexico will be without LB Kirk Morrison due to his off week. The secondary has been hit the hardest though. With the top DB injured and the next two DBs off, the Raiders will start Carlos Rogers and Aaron Ross, who have combined for 31 points thus far. New Mexico faces Lower Saxony (3-2) and Utica (1-4).

Austin (2-3)

After a strong start, the Predators have been in a freefall heading into a difficult Week 5 doubleheader. Both Austin and St. Louis have benched Marc Bulger, though instead of Gus Frerotte Austin will turn to David Garrard fresh off his bye. Ronnie Brown has went from the trading block to the top RB in the league in four weeks time. He'll face an improved Texans defense. Marvin Harrison looks like he'll miss this game, so the team will have to decide between Joe Jurevicius and Arnaz Battle to play alongside Joey Galloway and Tony Gonzalez. Luckily for Austin, the team might be getting back LBs Zach Thomas and Matt Wilhelm. Thomas in particular would be a huge boost to the defense. Austin faces Washington (5-0) and Lower Saxony (3-2).

California (2-3)

The Xtreme head into this week's doubleheader fresh off a seven-point win in Week 4 that took them out of the AFC West basement into a tie for second. QB Drew Brees should explode after having a week off against a bad Carolina secondary. With the top WR on the team off this week, California will be forced to start Bryant Johnson and a questionable Donte Stallworth. Brandon Stokley will see an increased role this week due to Javon Walker's injury. The only kicker on roster has a bye, as does starting DL Mike Patterson and top DB Darren Sharper. The Xtreme have struggled to score points this season, and with so many people off it looks like this week will be difficult for the team as well. California faces Fairfax (2-3) and Utica (1-4).

Carson City (1-4)

Losers of four straight, the Bandits look to be in selling mode. With the increased competitiveness of the AFC South, it will be difficult for Carson City to rebound and earn a playoff spot. QB Matt Leinart gets another start and has a great matchup. Unfortunately, he hasn't been playing all of every game, with Arizona rotating Kurt Warner in in certain situations. The Bandits might want to look to Trent Green until Leinart starts getting all the snaps. Franchise Player Javon Walker will miss this week due to injury. The team will line up with two TEs, Heath Miller and Ben Watson, each having scored 24 points this year. The team is leaning toward starting Aaron Stecker as the lone RB over Tatum Bell. Carson City faces Washington (5-0) and Fairfax (2-3).

NFC East

Washington (5-0)

The league's top team will face a couple teams on the downslope this week, giving the Braves a great shot at starting the season 7-0. Four players on the Washington offense have scored over 60 points, and only one will be off this week. Without Chad Johnson (bye) and Andre Johnson (injury), Washington will start newly-signed Reggie Williams along with Bobby Engram and TE Dallas Clark. DL Osi Umenyiora is questionable and his absence would mean the Braves only have one DL playing this week. Top DB Bob Sanders is also questionable; if he can't go, Washington would lose another couple points this week switching to Antonie Bethea or Kenoy Kennedy. Washington faces Austin (2-3) and Carson City (1-4).

Lower Saxony (3-2)

Lower Saxony will get a rematch of each of the first two NFFL Bowls in Week 5, facing the AFC's top team of 2005 and 2006. With QBs Ben Roethlisberger and Chad Pennington limited in practice, the Patriots might have to start third QB Jeff Garcia against Indianapolis. The Patriots might get back RB Brandon Jacobs this week, which would be a huge boost with Rudi Johnson and Anquan Boldin out. WRs Laveranues Coles and Santonio Holmes should start, and Lower Saxony has to decide on Greg Jennings, James Jones and Jeremy Shockey, with Jennings looking like the favorite. LB Channing Crowder will miss this week's game, meaning the team might have to start three DLs. Lower Saxony faces New Mexico (3-2) and Austin (2-3).

Fairfax (2-3)

The Foxes have the good fortune of facing the league's two lowest-scoring teams in Week 5. Don't pencil them in for two wins; Fairfax will be without QB Donovan McNabb, RB Brian Westbrook, and LB Thomas Howard, the team's three top scorers. Trent Edwards will likely start against Dallas over David Carr. Fairfax currently plans on starting RBs Maurice Jones-Drew and Brian Leonard, but with excellent WR depth that could change. All five healthy WRs have over 20 points this season; the two RBs have combined for 19 points. The Foxes are also without LB Omar Gaither, the second-best LB behind Howard, meaning Bradie James and Bart Scott will be the only LBs this week. Fairfax faces California (2-3) and Carson City (1-4).

Utica (1-4)

Utica backs into the doubleheader losers of three straight. Despite owning the league's best player in QB Tony Romo, the Devils are struggling to score points. RB Ahman Green looks should miss this week, leaving DeAngelo Williams as the only RB option. With Isaac Bruce hurt, WR Drew Bennett should be a good start this week. Due to byes and injuries, Tommie Harris is the only available DL, though he's banged up as well. Top DB Madieu Williams is on a bye, and DeAngelo Hall and Lance Briggs are both questionable and in danger of missing this week's games. That means Utica's usually great defense will struggle to score points this week. It will be Romo's job once again to keep the Devils competitive. Utica faces New Mexico (3-2) and California (2-3).

NFC North

Chicago (4-1)

The Goodfellas swept the last doubleheader and eeked out a seven-point win in Week 4, giving them a three-game winning streak heading into Week 5. QB Vince Young is back from his bye and is a threat to put up huge numbers at home against Atlanta. RB LaMont Jordan is both hurt and on a bye, so LenDale White looks to get the start next to Jamal Lewis. Plaxico Burress is questionable, and Mike Furrey would start in his absence and still give Chicago a solid offense. The Chicago defense is hurting, with six of eight potential starters either questionable or out. The Goodfellas will have to pray that they can get production from the injured group of DBs Charles Tillman, Troy Polamalu, and DL James Hall. Chicago faces Bertrand (3-2) and Cincinnati (3-2).

Boston (2-3)

Boston has a losing record despite being the fourth-best scoring team in the league and ran into the Washington juggernaut last week. The Inferno will be close to full strength this week, with no notable players on byes and only Laurence Maroney, Calvin Johnson and Freddie Keaiho listed as questionable. Maroney's absence could mean a start for Sammy Morris. Johnson is the fourth option at WR. At this point, Boston looks to start Lee Evans over those guys this week, as Evans had a promising Week 4 with Trent Edwards at QB and faces a bad Dallas secondary this week. If Keaiho can't go, the team could go with Kamerion Wimbley or rookie Anthony Spencer. Boston faces Anglia (4-1) and Bertrand (3-2).

Glasgow (2-3)

Glasgow is coming off a win over Utica in Week 4 but suffered a potentially big injury in the game. RB Joseph Addai is questionable for this week and the Colts might opt to keep him out of their game to give him two weeks off (Indianapolis has a Week 6 bye). Fortunately, the Warriors have Edgerrin James and Larry Johnson, both great starting options. QB Eli Manning looks to be starting, though Matt Schaub has an easier matchup. Only one prominent Warrior has a bye this week, Landon Johnson who leads the LB unit in points. DB Erik Coleman will miss the game, leaving Glasgow with only two DBs this week, Dawan Landry and Sean Taylor. Glasgow faces Cincinnati (3-2) and Greenville (2-3).

Halifax (1-4)

Halifax is the hard-luck team of the NFFL, having the second-most points scored in the league despite a 1-4 record. The Armada has more points than the division-leading 4-1 Goodfellas. Number two scorer in the league Tom Brady should have a field day against Cleveland. Adrian Peterson is off and Cadillac Williams is hurt, so underperforming Cedric Benson will be by himself in the Armada backfield. Good thing for Halifax the top WRs are healthy, and Larry Fitzgerald in particular should be huge against St. Louis. The defense should excel as well, with no injuries and only one backup LB on a bye. Four Halifax LBs have scored 39 points or more, including Rocky McIntosh who comes off a bye in Week 4. Halifax faces Anglia (4-1) and Greenville (2-3).

Good luck to everyone this week! I'll need it!

Washington, Chicago continue to dominate

The Washington Braves took their undefeated record into a battle with the Boston Inferno, a team projected to have a legitimate shot at the NFFL Bowl this year. The Chicago Goodfellas squared off against the Fairfax Foxes, a team that scored 179 points in Week 3 and seemed to be on the rise. These two games, along with a matchup of two AFC division leaders, were in the national spotlight this week, though only one of the games ended up being a close contest.

GAME of the WEEK

Chicago 121, Fairfax 114

Despite struggling to score points this week, the Goodfellas were able to hang onto victory due to the underperformance of the Foxes' best players. Fairfax RB Brian Westbrook was in the starting lineup but didn't play in the Sunday night game, and his absence clearly affected Fairfax QB Donovan McNabb, who scored only three points in the game. Fairfax rookie WR led all players in this game with 22 points, but the inability of the rest of the offense to score doomed the Foxes. Four Chicago offensive players scored a dozen points or more in the victory, including WR Braylon Edwards with a team-leading 15 points.

California 116, Cincinnati 109

California has scored the fewest points in the NFFL, leading to a 1-3 start, but struck a huge blow to Cincinnati's 3-1 start in this big upset. With Xtreme QB Drew Brees off this week, the team was able to put his poor play on hold for a week and started QB Daunte Culpepper, who scored five TDs and 35 points to lead California to victory. Cincinnati had only one offensive player in double-digits and got only two points from QB Phillip Rivers. The Keepers' Week 3 breakout WR Kevin Curtis also had only two points.

Washington 178, Boston 124

The Braves continue their dismantling of the NFFL with a 54-point win over one of the better teams in the league. Washington DL Osi Umenyiora notched six sacks and finished the day with 38 points to lead the team. Three Washington offensive players scored at least 19 points, including 21 each from QB Matt Hasselbeck and RB LaDanian Tomlinson. Boston QB Peyton Manning was his usual spectacular self, scoring 31 points in the defeat, but the rest of the team couldn't keep up with him. No one else on the team scored over 13 points and only three other players were in double digits.

Anglia 138, Austin 93

The first game of the post-Frank Gore era is a success for Anglia as they destroyed the defending champion Austin Predators in Week 4. Seven Dark Knights were in double digits, with QB Jon Kitna's 19 leading the team. While none of the Anglia players had huge games, the team got solid efforts from almost everyone on the team to score the win. The Austin offense scored only 34 points, with RB Ronnie Brown getting 26 of them. QB Marc Bulger had another off day with two points and the Austin WR crew combined for one sole point.

Lower Saxony 155, Halifax 142

Eight Lower Saxony players, including all three WRs, scored double digits as they took sole possession of second in the NFC East in Week 4. The Patriots WRs scored 46 points, led by Santonio Holmes' team-high 24. Patriot LB Derrick Johnson led the defense with 17 points. Halifax also played very well but fell in this tough matchup. QB Tom Brady led the team with 25 points. The Armada scored only two points between their two DL.

New Mexico 138, Greenville 128

The Raiders staved off a hungry Greenville team to leave Week 4 with a ten-point win and the AFC West lead. New New Mexico QB Brett Favre scored 23 points to lead the team and new RB Frank Gore added nine points. Raider WR Jerry Porter caught two TDs and finished with 17. The top three Greenville performances were all on defense, with LBs Julian Peterson and Ernie Sims combining for 45 points and DB Marcus Trufant scoring 19. Seven Storm players scored four points or less.

Glasgow 117, Utica 89

Utica's tough season continues as the Devils score the least amount of points in Week 4, giving the Warriors an easy win. The breakdown for Utica's 89 looks like this: 37 from the league's best player, QB Tony Romo; 13 from LB Michael Boley; two players with nine points each; two players with five points each; one player with three points; two with two points; four with one point; two with zero points. The Warriors only had three players in double digits, but most of the team scored in the five to nine points range. Glasgow DL Darnell Dockett led the team with 22.

Bertrand 135, Carson City 98

The Ground Force dealt Carson City its fourth consecutive loss and moved to 3-2 with a 37-point victory. Bertrand WR Patrick Clayton exploded for 30 points and easily led all players in this game. Bertrand DB Antoine Winfield added 14 and Carson City LB D.J. Williams scored 13. The rest of the players on both sides had a dozen points or less. Carson City DL Trent Cole struggled, scoring only two points, and was traded to Austin after the game for a package including DL Luis Castillo and draft picks.

Week 4 Preview: Aftereffects of the Trades

GAME of the WEEK

Austin (2-2) vs Anglia (3-1)

Not only does this game feature two co-division leaders, it also features two teams greatly affected by this week's trade frenzy. Anglia, despite winning three of their first four games, traded away QB Brett Favre, RB Frank Gore and WR Reggie Brown. The benefactor of this purge? Austin's biggest rival, the New Mexico Raiders. Austin in turn completed a trade of their own, trading injured WR Hines Ward to New Mexico for Brown and others.

Former Raiders WR Jerricho Cotchery and LB Victor Hobson will start for the Dark Knights and should have good games against the Bills. Look for Cotchery to score in the 15-20 range. Anglia QB Jon Kitna will get to pick on the depleted Chicago secondary and could be in for a 30+ game. DL Taylor will try to rebound against the Raiders and the prospect of sacking former teammate Daunte Culpepper will have him at the top of his game.

In Austin, Brown will get the start against a poor Giants secondary while RB Ronnie Brown will look to build on last week's great game when he faces the Raiders. QB Marc Bulger has struggled but should excel against Dallas. If he doesn't, his next stop could be the bench. On defense, the Predators will be without LB Matt Wilhelm and LB Zach Thomas is a gametime decision. Austin will start newly-signed LB Leroy Hill.

The winner: Austin.

Boston (2-2) vs Washington (4-0)

Both these teams entered the season looking like good bets to go deep into the playoffs. Boston hasn't risen to the expectations yet, while Washington has looked like the class of the league. If the Inferno are to take down the undefeated Braves, they'll need a few outstanding performances and several great games.

Boston QB Peyton Manning draws a very tough opponent in Denver, a team with two excellent CBs. Both Inferno RBs should have good games, while WR Roy Williams could be in for a 25-30 point game against Chicago. LB Brian Urlacher will be busy as virtually the only healthy player on the Chicago starting defense. DB Ronde Barber is a very good bet for a pick or two this week against Carolina.

Washington RBs LaDanian Tomlinson and Marion Barber should dominate this week and will probably outscore their Boston counterparts. In a game filled with superstars, the winner might depend on the performance of WR Bobby Engram, who will start due to the injury to Andre Johnson and the ineffectiveness of Troy Williamson. Both Washington DB should pile up tackles as should LB Derrick Brooks against the run-first Panthers.

The winner: Washington.

Chicago (3-1) vs Fairfax (2-2)

Chicago sits alone on top the NFC North as a result of scoring the second most points in the league behind Washington. Fairfax started 0-2, but a big doubleheader total in Week 3 has them red-hot and in second place in the division.

Chicago will start in a big hole by getting zero points from their QB. Starter Vince Young is on bye and backup Jake Delhomme is injured. RB Jamal Lewis plays his old team and is more likely to score five points than 15. The secondary, much like the QB position, will be a problem due to injury and the bye. DBs Chris Hope and Charles Tillman are out, so Michael Huff will be asked to start along with Troy Polamalu.

With QB Donovan McNabb and RB Brian Westbrook facing the Giants, another big game from Fairfax is to be expected. The RB2 will be rookie Brian Leonard, who's getting the start for the Rams thanks to injury. LB Thomas Howard has recorded a big play in each of the first three games, and could easily make it four in a row against Miami. Fairfax's tough secondary should dominate Chicago's weakened unit.

The winner: Fairfax.

Greenville (2-2) vs New Mexico (2-2)

Greenville has posted a decent record but will need to start scoring more points if they want to make the playoffs in the suddenly-strong AFC South. The New Mexico Raiders made a couple trades mid-week and are the favorites to win the AFC.

Greenville QB Jay Cutler will need to throw early and often in an attempt to keep up with the Colts and should end the day with great numbers. RB Marshawn Lynch faces a bad Jets run defense. WR Mark Clayton is still recovering from injury but remains in the Storm starting lineup. DL Mario Williams has been mediocre after a huge Week 1, but facing the Falcons is the dream of many DL in the league. LB Ray Lewis is a gametime decision and would be sorely missed.

New Raider QB Brett Favre will probably get to start along with RB Frank Gore. With the Redskins on a bye, New Mexico will start a RB with no points on the season. WR Randy Moss should continue to post great numbers, but WR Steve Smith might become frustrated early with his new weak-armed QB. This week the Raiders signed DB Anthony Henry, one of the league leaders at the position, and he will start.

The winner: New Mexico.

Cincinnati (3-1) vs California (1-3)

A couple huge performances led to a Cincinnati sweep in Week 3, and the Keepers should extend their AFC-leading three-game winning streak against California. The Xtreme have scored the fewest points in the league, averaging 17 points less than the next-closest team.

With the starting Bengals RB out, the Keepers will start RB Kenny Watson, though New England is a very tough matchup for him. While WR Kevin Curtis won't score 40 again, he should have a good day against the Giants on Sunday night. With LB Mike Peterson and DB Reggie Nelson off, the Keepers will look to DB Sean Considine and LB Eric Barton. Barton has struggled this season but could have a big day against the Bills, who will be running the ball at Barton a lot.

California's top two QBs are off, so the Xtreme will be starting the Oakland QB this week. Josh McCown is currently listed as the starter, but he's not expected to play due to injury. Look for Daunte Culpepper to be in before the game starts. WR Ronald Curry has a nice matchup against Miami. LBs Shawne Merriman and DeMeco Ryans should both get to double-digits this week, with Merriman probably notching a sack or two.

The winner: Cincinnati.

Lower Saxony (2-2) vs Halifax (1-3)

The Patriots shook up their roster, trading Larry Johnson away after a doubleheader split. Halifax has lost three straight including both games last week, but a high point total suggests the losses are just a product of bad luck.

The remaining stud RB on Lower Saxony, Rudi Johnson, will miss the game Monday night due to injury, and the Patriots will have to start new addition DeShaun Foster as their sole RB this week. The WRs will be led by Laveranues Coles, who has a big game on the horizon when he plays Buffalo. LBs Barrett Ruud and Paris Lenon have been great thus far, and Channing Crowder might get another start in the middle. All three should have double-digits.

QB Tom Brady could score 30+ points on Monday night for Halifax. RB Cedric Benson has ben disappointing, but he'll get an easy matchup against Detroit. WRs Larry Fitzgerald and Reggie Wayne face top-tier CBs this week. DB Terrence McGee should be healthy enough to play this week and should have a solid game. Due to byes, the Armada will have a gap at DL, with Dwayne White being the only active player.

The winner: Halifax.

Utica (1-3) vs Glasgow (1-3)

These two teams are at the bottom of their respective divisions, and the loser of this game will be the odds-on favorite to miss the playoffs. As such, this is a critical game for both franchises.

Utica QB Tony Romo has been one of the best players in the league this season and should continue to excel against St. Louis. The rest of the offense is hurting. Both starting RBs will miss this week due to injury, leaving DeAngelo Williams as the only healthy RB. Two of the top three Utica WRs are on bye. LB2 Lance Briggs has missed practice and might not play this weekend either. LB1 London Fletcher is off this week.

Glasgow RB Joseph Addai will be leaned on heavily by the Colts and should score 20+. WR Torry Holt is a good breakout candidate this week agasint Dallas. WR Bernard Berrian will look to establish a rhythm with his new QB against a poor Detroit secondary. The only player missing from the Glasgow defense is Sean Taylor, but the other two DBs have outscored Taylor this season. Only one Warrior is out due to injury.

The winner: Glasgow.

Carson City (1-3) vs Bertrand (2-2)

These two teams are tied for last in their respective divisions. Bertrand has actually outscored the first-place Keepers, while the Bandits are in danger of missing the playoffs, having scored the second-fewest amount of points in the league.

Bandits QB Matt Leinart struggled last week and spent some time on the bench. Carson City might want to do the same, with Trent Green averaging 15 points per game. WR Shaun McDonald should have another good game against Chicago. DL Trent Cole has been fantastic in the first three weeks and could have another big game against the Giants. With one DL injured and another off, the DL2 spot will be a weakness this week.

Ground Force RB2 Ron Dayne will get to start for the Texans this week and makes a solid play for Bertrand. WR has been a big weakness, but all three starters have good matchups in Week 4. Even against a tough team, Carson Palmer should be able to score 20+. The DL tandem of Aarons Schobel and Kampman will do what they do best: score points. LB Stephen Cooper is a sleeper pick for Defensive Player of the Week.

The winner: Bertrand.

The Trade That Rocked The World

Before we recap Week 3 of the NFFL, let's go over the two trades completed this week. Both involved the most valuable commodities in the NFFL, starting RBs, changing hands.

Lower Saxony trades RB Larry Johnson, RB Michael Bennett, and two 5th-round picks to Glasgow.
Glasgow trades RB Brandon Jacobs, RB Deshaun Foster, LB Derrick Johnson, one 1st-round pick and two 2nd-round picks to Lower Saxony.

The Patriots decided it was time to sell one of their cornerstones. RB Johnson has struggled this year, and I was down on him this season. I felt the Patriots should have tried to trade him during the off-season, as I didn't see his value getting any higher. But even though he waited a few weeks, he still got a considerable haul. RB Jacobs doesn't have the upside of Johnson, but he should still be a solid RB2 once he returns from injury. The impressive performance of Derrick Ward might reduce Jacobs' role moving forward. Foster has been great so far, but DeAngelo Williams will eventually become the starter. Foster is the RB2 of now, Jacobs is the RB2 of the future and Rudi Johnson is the RB1 when healthy. LB Johnson is a very good LB signed for three years at a reasonable price and should remain a starter for the Patriots for all three years. Glasgow has a great 1-2 punch in Johnson and Addai now and enough LB depth to trade Derrick Johnson. Edgerrin James is a starter on most NFFL teams, so it's not like Glasgow is lacking in depth.

In my opinion, this was a great trade for both sides. Since I'm not sold on a Johnson rebound, I give the slight edge to Lower Saxony in this deal. If the Warriors' first-rounder that the Patriots acquired ends up being a high pick, they'll have won this trade. If Johnson rebounds and becomes a top-ten back again, the Warriors will likely have improved their starting RB attack and still have good depth at both RB and LB.

Anglia trades RB Frank Gore, QB Brett Favre, QB Aaron Rodgers, WR Reggie Brown to New Mexico.
New Mexico trades RB Fred Taylor, QB Damon Huard, WR Jerricho Cotchery, LB Victor Hobson, a 3rd-round pick and a 5th-round pick to Anglia.

Is this a even trade? Not at all. If he actively shopped the players he traded on the open market, he would have seen a far greater return, especially considering that he didn't even acquire his initial target in the trade talks. Can I see Anglia's reasoning in making the trade? After talking to him a little bit, yes I can.

He wanted to get rid of Gore. He thinks the bottom is going to drop on Gore and wanted to sell while his value was still astronomical. Like I explained above, if I had Larry Johnson I probably would have done the same type of thing. Unfortunately, he misjudged Gore's value to the rest of the league and it cost him a great opportunity to either sell his most valuable asset for several veterans in an attempt to win this year or for several first-rounders and young players that would be integral in a rebuilding project.

This trade was essentially Gore for Taylor, Cotchery and the picks. With the struggles of Maurice Jones-Drew, Taylor should stick as the starter in Jacksonville barring injury. He definitely doesn't have the upside of Gore, but he should be OK as the RB2 in Anglia. Cotchery is seen as an up-and-coming WR with big play ability. He already has one game of 150+ yards this season. He's also signed to a five-year deal, so Anglia owns him for the future. Is he a known quantity, an established stud that you can rely on as an WR1? Definitely not, and the Dark Knights should have been able to get one by dealing Gore, especially since the team he was trading with has two WR1s on the roster and another good WR2. The picks are seen as worthless now, but Anglia might be able to land a very good RFA with each of the picks. Also if you do your homework, the fifth round is where you can take a chance on finding a potential stud for next-to-no salary. If that pans out, that pick could be the key to this deal.

The Dark Knights needed to clear salary, and decided QB was the place to do it. Favre is definitely in his last or next-to-last year. Rodgers isn't a known quantity; he could be great or he could stink. With Jon Kitna locked in as the Anglia starter, the team was using $5.36 million and eight years of cap space on these two backups. Favre was terrific against two bad secondaries and horrid against a good secondary this year. His next four games are against Minnesota, Chicago, Washington and Denver. All four of those teams have outstanding secondaries, though Chicago will be much easier since all of their starters are hurt. Favre's value will likely drop considerably in the next few weeks and now was definitely the time to trade him if you're not sold on his rejuvenation. Huard isn't any better, though he was great last year as the starter. But he costs significantly less and he'll only be the backup to Kitna. JaMarcus Russell is still the long-term answer for Anglia at the position.

Anglia probably made a hasty move dismissing Brown so quickly, but since he was going to cut him anyway it makes sense to rid him completely from the books. He was also able to get Hobson, who has started slow this year but did end last year with 100 tackles and six sacks. New Mexico is the unquestioned winner in this deal, but those that say there is absolutely no way Anglia gained anything from this deal are wrong.

Moving on to recaps of the week:

The WINNERS

Washington Braves (4-0)

The Braves are looking like the favorite to win the league, despite a subpar start from RB LaDanian Tomlinson. Washington got 23 points from both QB Matt Hasselbeck and RB Marion Barber en route to scoring 159 points and sweeping the doubleheader. Andre Johnson missed the game and scored as many points as his replacement, Troy Williamson. Washington obviously has fantastic starters, but depth looks to be a problem. LB Keith Bulluck tallied three interceptions and scored 22 points to lead the defense.

Anglia Dark Knights (3-1)

Lost among the trade outrage is the fact that Anglia has started 3-1, sweeping the doubleheader and scoring 138 points. QB Jon Kitna posted 23 points to lead the team while DB Adam Archuleta's 13 led the defense. TE Jason Witten and WR Derrick Mason also had good games in the victories. Backup QB Brett Favre scored 32 points on the bench, but RB Frank Gore struggled and finished the day with four points and WR Reggie Brown only had two.

Chicago Goodfellas (3-1)

Nine Chicago players reached double-digits this week, led by RB LaMont Jordan's 21. Jordan has continued to succeeded and should garner most of the playing time when Dominic Rhodes returns from suspension. QB Vince Young continues to impress, scoring 18 on Monday night. On defense, the normally reliable DB Chris Hope only scored three points and DL Jevon Kearse was shut out, but the rest did a great job picking them up and scored 64 points.

Cincinnati Keepers (3-1)

The Keepers' offense played out of their minds this week in leading the team to a sweep and 166 points. WR Kevin Curtis scored 40 points to lead the team and QB Phillip Rivers added 28. WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh (18), RB Reggie Bush (15) and WR Brandon Marshall (13) also had good games. Only two Cincinnati defenders scored more than five points, but the offensive explosion masked the deficiency.

Fairfax Foxes (2-2)

The only winless team after two weeks, Fairfax was eager to prove they weren't the worst team in the league. With 179 points scored, mission accomplished. QB Donovan McNabb and RB Brian Westbrook overcame the ugly uniforms and combined for 77 points to lead the team to the sweep. DB Sean Jones led the defense with 18 points. Backup DB Marlin Jackson had 15 tackles on the bench and will probably be in the lineup next week as a result.

The LOSERS

California Xtreme (1-3)

The slow start by the Xtreme got worse in the doubleheader. Not only did they manage just 86 points, but they also lost RB Deuce McAllister for the year. McAllister did score any points in the game and teammate QB Drew Brees had -1 in the losses. K Sebastian Janikowski led the team with 14 points. On the bench, RB Reuben Droughns scored two TDs, and California can only hope he can repeat that performance next week.

Carson City Bandits (1-3)

Despite a big game from DL Trent Cole, the Bandits could only score 101 points and were swept in Week 3. Cole had three sacks and ended the game with 21 points, which led the team. QB Matt Leinart scored two points and was sat in favor of Kurt Warner during the game. Backup QB Trent Green had 16 points and will probably be looked at as a short-term solution. WR Shaun McDonald scored 13 points, but the other two WRs each scored one point.

Glasgow Warriors (1-3)

Like the Bandits, the Warriors only got one big game and as a result were swept this week. RB Joseph Addai scored 20 points to lead the team. LB Adalius Thomas was good with 11 points to lead the defense and three other players chipped in to score ten each. RB Edgerrin James scored six points. QB Eli Manning was also mediocre, scoring nine points. On the bench, RB Deshaun Foster scored 25 and would have led Glasgow to a split if started over James.

Halifax Armada (1-3)

Halifax is the hard-luck loser of the week, scoring 140 points but still getting swept in the doubleheader. QB Tom Brady scored 34 points to lead the team and RB Adrian Peterson added 18. DB Kerry Rhodes was the only other player over ten, though only two players scored less than six. Backup LB Mathias Kiwanuka scored 21 after tallying two sacks. Backup DL Andre Carter also had a sack and scored 12. Backup WR Vincent Jackson scored 15.

Utica Devils (1-3)

Five Utica players score one point or no points at all as the Devils scored 120 points and were swept in the Week 3. QB Tony Romo scored 23 and LB London Fletcher scored 20 to lead their sides of the ball. WR Donald Driver also had a big day and scored 18 while RB Steven Jackson added 12. Jackson did suffer an injury and has been ruled out for next week. LB Michael Boley also did well, scoring 11 points.

The SPLITS

Austin Predators, Bertrand Ground Force, Boston Inferno, Greenville Storm, Lower Saxony Patriots, New Mexico Raiders (2-2)

The Predators had a rough day and scored 127 points, with the biggest letdown coming from QB Marc Bulger and his -2 points. RB Ronnie Brown had 40 points and was the main reason that Austin wasn't swept. Only four Bertrand players scored over ten points, led by QB Carson Palmer's 15, as the team scored 113. Playing the lowest score of the week, that total was enough to win one game. Boston had a great week scoring 160 but ran into the best score of the week and received a split. Boston WR Roy Williams scored 26 and returning DL Jared Allen scored 24. Greenville only scored 113 with RB Marshawn Lynch's 13 leading the team. The Storm bench played poorly as well, so a sweep was almost out of the question for Greenville. Lower Saxony scored 128 points, which was good for an eight-point victory over Glasgow. Patriot WR Anquan Boldin was huge with 30 points, while RB Larry Johnson scored only four and was promptly traded. New Mexico scored 132 points, but that wasn't good enough for management and the team traded for as many Anglia star players as humanly possible. WR Randy Moss had another great game and DL Elvis Dumervil led the defense after scoring 20 points with two sacks.

Check the NFFL Weekly for the Week 3 awards!