{Posted originally at https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/actionpcsports/whirled-ball-year-ii-the-way-football-never-was-co-t23780-s20.html#p240265 }
And then there were 2 …
The Championship games were both good contests. First, New York saw off a strong challenge from London in a game that saw Eli Manning rediscover Odell Beckham, Jr. who finished with 5 catches for 159 yards and 3 TDs. London’s passing game never really got going, and New York’s all-around excellence saw them through in a game that had a half-dozen lead changes but ended 34-29 in favor of the Royal Giants.
Then, a 162 yard, 2 TD performance from Jim Brown wasn’t enough as Rio de Janeiro’s Len Dawson had his worst game of the season against Istanbul. The Janissaries were typically excellent offensively, with Johnny Unitas throwing for just under 300 yards and Hines Ward catching 6 balls for 121 yards and 4 TDs. Franco Harris wasn’t quite Brown, but 110 yards on 25 carries was certainly better production than anticipated. Istanbul’s 37-20 winsends them to New York for the Whirled Bowl.
The teams are relatively healthy heading into big game. TWIWFL has the details, but the notable injuries over the final weeks of the playoffs include Istanbul’s Dwight White and Jack Lambert and New York’s Tony Boselli, putting spotlights on the contributions of Brett Keisel, Vince Williams, and Bruiser Kinard.
A Game Preview!
#When NYG Has the Ball
Look for the Royal Giants to continue to spread the love offensively, with Manning’s almost psychic connection with Victor Cruz balancing out the running of Tiki Barber and Maurice Jones-Drew. Cruz is far from the only weapon as Beckham, Jr.’s performance in the Northish Championship showed, and Jimmy Smith and Jeremy Shockey are solid options as well for Manning. Pete Henry and Chris Snee are the best of the OL.
Istanbul’s defense remains, in a word, stout, with Joe Greene clogging the middle of the line all by his lonesome. Elvis Dumervil has been the dominant pass rusher in the league this season, and Ray Lewis is one of the all-around best on the inside. Those 2 and Greg Lloyd should be able to cover for Lambert’s absence. The key, at the end, may be how CBs Brady Keys and Abe Woodson do in coverage. They can take some risks, as Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu are a great pair of safeties.
Edge: Even.
#When IST Has the Ball
The question is the running game. If Harris can perform as he did against Rio, Istanbul’s offense is almost impossible to slow down, let alone stop. Unitas is spoiled for choice with Antonio Brown, John Stallworth, Ward, and Louis Lipps often all on the field at the same time. They almost exclusively work the middle distances, but all 4 receivers have the speed to turn a short completion into a long gain.
The Royal Giants will counter with an aggressive front 4, led by Jason Pierre-Paul and Michael Strahan off the end and the surprisingly effective duo of Sen’Derrick Marks and Mike Patterson in the middle. Jon Beason is among the best tacklers in the league, freeing up Lawrence Taylor to wander the field from one outside linebacker position. If there is a weakness, it’s at safety, where Eddie Meador and Josh Evans are pressed into starting roles due to the injuries to Em Tunnell and Antrel Rolle. But the CBs are excellent, with the only complaint against Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie being his tendency to, if anything, be a mite too aggressive.
Edge: Slight to NYG due to lack of reliability of IST running game.