Post by Maxi on May 1, 2008 2:20:44 GMT -5
Stars vs. Firebirds[/u][/size]
Firebirds:
Record: 9-4, 1st South
Best Win: W2, 44-0 rout of Bunnies. Albeit early in the season - before the Bunnies constant and continued player improvement - the win was an all-around dominant performance and showed this team could be the league's best. The Bunnies finished with a very respectable record making this win even more impressive.
Worst Loss: W11, 31-14 loss to the Cougars. At home, Philly looked outmatched on both sides of the ball, with a -4 turnover differential while allowing Cedric Williamson to go off for one of the better games of his young career.
Stars:
Record: 9-4, 1st North
Best Win: Southern Championship, 44-14 win over Bunnies. The defensive did it's job in forcing 4 turnovers and kept the Roseville offense at bay. What's more impressive is the offensive explosion, as this Stars team averaged only about 17.6 points per game in the regular season.
Worst Loss: W11, 36-20 loss to Playboys. The Stars 5 game win streak was snapped at home as the 'Boys racked up an astonishing 10 takeaways en route to putting up the highest point total against the Stars this season. San Diego had allowed just 10.9 points per game in their previous 10 entering this matchup.
Series Breakdown:
This is a series seemingly destined to go 3 with two solid teams who each have a win against the other in the regular season.
Offense: Both teams have weapons that can exploit the other. Big Sexxxy is the league's top wideout, and a game-breaker capable of going off for 1 or 2 TD's in every game. The Stars bring the whole package to the table- solid rusher, a duo of wideouts, and the blocking/receiving combination of Andrews and Marko. Advantage: Stars, they bring a rejuvenated offense in with too many weapons and too much quality all around.
Defense: Again, each team has studs at nearly every position. The Stars at times can be dominant in frustrating an opponent and limiting their offense. The Firebirds, while not as dominant, force more turnovers and create opportunities for the O. Advantage: Firebirds, although the offensive/defensive picks seem backwards, the Firebirds take the cake because of their potential for points off of takeaways. The Stars turnover differential has been poor all season, and they rarely turn opponent's giveaways into immediate points.
Intangibles: The Firebirds have more recent experience in the big game, and are some of the better game preppers in the league. The Stars have home-field, which should give them some time to make any necessary adjustments to the Firebirds' maneuvers. Advantage: Stars, Risso grew 2 inches and Madden is on our side, the "Stars" have aligned.
Big Picture: In 1 game, the "any given sunday" rule applies but a 3 game series is the ultimate test of which team is better. The Firebirds will rely on their defense to come up big with their turnovers, while the Stars will need to limit Sexxxy on a consistent basis- not an easy task. In my opinion, the Stars will win a close one, the Firebirds will explode to force 5 or 6 turnovers in another, and in game 3 the Stars will seal the deal. Predicted Pasta Bowl Champions: Stars, in 3.
Firebirds:
Record: 9-4, 1st South
Best Win: W2, 44-0 rout of Bunnies. Albeit early in the season - before the Bunnies constant and continued player improvement - the win was an all-around dominant performance and showed this team could be the league's best. The Bunnies finished with a very respectable record making this win even more impressive.
Worst Loss: W11, 31-14 loss to the Cougars. At home, Philly looked outmatched on both sides of the ball, with a -4 turnover differential while allowing Cedric Williamson to go off for one of the better games of his young career.
Stars:
Record: 9-4, 1st North
Best Win: Southern Championship, 44-14 win over Bunnies. The defensive did it's job in forcing 4 turnovers and kept the Roseville offense at bay. What's more impressive is the offensive explosion, as this Stars team averaged only about 17.6 points per game in the regular season.
Worst Loss: W11, 36-20 loss to Playboys. The Stars 5 game win streak was snapped at home as the 'Boys racked up an astonishing 10 takeaways en route to putting up the highest point total against the Stars this season. San Diego had allowed just 10.9 points per game in their previous 10 entering this matchup.
Series Breakdown:
This is a series seemingly destined to go 3 with two solid teams who each have a win against the other in the regular season.
Offense: Both teams have weapons that can exploit the other. Big Sexxxy is the league's top wideout, and a game-breaker capable of going off for 1 or 2 TD's in every game. The Stars bring the whole package to the table- solid rusher, a duo of wideouts, and the blocking/receiving combination of Andrews and Marko. Advantage: Stars, they bring a rejuvenated offense in with too many weapons and too much quality all around.
Defense: Again, each team has studs at nearly every position. The Stars at times can be dominant in frustrating an opponent and limiting their offense. The Firebirds, while not as dominant, force more turnovers and create opportunities for the O. Advantage: Firebirds, although the offensive/defensive picks seem backwards, the Firebirds take the cake because of their potential for points off of takeaways. The Stars turnover differential has been poor all season, and they rarely turn opponent's giveaways into immediate points.
Intangibles: The Firebirds have more recent experience in the big game, and are some of the better game preppers in the league. The Stars have home-field, which should give them some time to make any necessary adjustments to the Firebirds' maneuvers. Advantage: Stars, Risso grew 2 inches and Madden is on our side, the "Stars" have aligned.
Big Picture: In 1 game, the "any given sunday" rule applies but a 3 game series is the ultimate test of which team is better. The Firebirds will rely on their defense to come up big with their turnovers, while the Stars will need to limit Sexxxy on a consistent basis- not an easy task. In my opinion, the Stars will win a close one, the Firebirds will explode to force 5 or 6 turnovers in another, and in game 3 the Stars will seal the deal. Predicted Pasta Bowl Champions: Stars, in 3.
