Founded 1992   

2023 Rd 3 Report & Scoresheet 

Bowl Bound Killers Are Not Dickering Around

Fit again Justin Jefferson snags a vital 26 yard TD for the Special K.

Coach McGeachy the Younger made it three Bowl appearances on the bounce as his 4^th ranked Kincorth Killers held on gallantly Monday night to see off the long time favorite Laurel Lions 33-27 in this 3^rd Round Christmas cracker. The Special K put a target on their collective chests as early as Christmas Eve thanks to an unlikely electric start from Hobsons choice kicker Cameron Dicker and although the Monday stacked Lions did come roaring back late, an untimely dose of Niners turnovers at Levi Stadium , limited the prospect of any Laurel momentum building to a game changing level, allowing Kinkers to hold on relatively comfortably. Although this 2nd ever meeting of the two franchises in post season competition ( Killers winning 26-19 in a 2021 2nd Rd clash en-route to their last Steven Wood success) was a coming together of two Division champions, the buzz around the respective camps was somewhat dissimilar. After a two week rest during which coach Hamilton had no real concerns to speak of, other than an injury to WR Jayden Reed, if anything , with Jonathon Taylor back fit and available the Pittodrie Division outfit looked stronger. Their final team selection saw Taylor slide in at RB 2 , with WR Jordan Addison a more than capable sub at WR3. Coach H preferred his Eagles D for the hurly burly of knock-out football. Over at the Slaughterhouse , coach McGeachy Jnr called time on RB Austin Ekeler after just squeaking past the Posse in Round 2 , old favorite James Conner getting his first start since Week 5, while a fit again Justin Jefferson was a welcome sight for the Double K faithful. A Jets for Chargers DST flip flop rounded the line-up changes. The backdrop to the opening action was a little story unto itself. When the RS concluded Riley Patterson was listed as the starting kicker on the Killers depth chart , but surprising developments at Detroit saw the specialist suddenly shown the door, leaving the Granite Division champions with Cameron Dicker as their only option. The Bolts FG artist struggled in his Rd 2 outing scoring only 3pts in a tie they just survived in, but with no alternative Dicker the Kicker was effectively an automatic choice. In the period between Rounds 2 & 3 the Chargers elected to show their HC the door.....and suddenly the FG artist became a more viable option, with analytic based (and often ridiculous)  go for it on 4^th down  attempts replaced with a "lets just take the points" mentality.  At Sofi in the early hours of Christmas Eve the new approach was an early gift for Andrew. A 5 FG effort (including a late 53 yarder) plus a single XP spotted the Granite Division champions a huge 18(2)pt opening statement and any thoughts this was just  another stop on the Lions Bowl procession were swiftly cast asunder. It's safe to say that none of the multiple  pre-match scenarios envisaged the Killers being 18pts to the good heading into a pivotal early Christmas Eve period. Events at US Bank Stadium were very much front and centre of the action but now instead of seeing if Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St Brown and Jordan Addison could outscore Justin Jefferson by enough points to perhaps establish a small lead, it was a very different dynamic with Jamesie's trio now just looking to reduce the deficit ahead of their Monday night "big show" where they had four key starters over two venues. RB Jonathon Taylor (Lions) and WR D K Metcalf (Killers) were the only active starters on either side of the LOS early Sunday not strutting their  stuff in the Twin Cities, but it was the 2021 running champion who got the Pittodrie Div champions off and running, his 1 yard TD run in Atlanta breathing life into their challenge after getting the benefit of a swift Q1 defensive PI in the endzone.  As it transpired Taylor had the Colts  backfield nearly all to himself in his return from a three-game injury but while he certainly saw a  heavy workload after that early success he thereafter found it tough sledding against a stingy Falcons defense and could not add to his total. Meanwhile DK Metcalf was largely being held in check in Music City. Back in Minnesota if coach H thought the points would then flow, he had to swiftly reset his expectations. The ALFF pundits had suggested Jared Goff may struggle against Brian Flores blitz-heavy defense but the Laurel signal-caller actually performed well.... in fact almost too well.... as he almost drove the Lions downfield at will..... other than when it came to the red-zone where Detroit opted to go the ground route as they pounded in three touchdowns via rushing plays. To add insult to Jamesie injury while the NFL Lions largely dominated the game in US Bank , Double K WR Jefferson was effectively the only horned one putting it all together catching his first touchdown (26 yarder) since returning from his seven-game layoff. Trailing 06-21 the Pride really had to get some points on the board to keep their hopes alive and finally late in proceedings Goff finally hooked up with ASB (who had suffered from that same safely safely approach in the red zone) on a 1 yard TD counter to make it a belated 12-21 . The No 1 seeds would possibly have settled for that 9pt deficit but the Killers had other ideas. Back in Nashville a jaw dropping 11 yard toe tap score from D K Metcalf in the corner of the EZ restored the game situation (in terms of points differential) to the point it was right after Taylor opened the No 1 seeds account and it really looked as if the GDiv combo may put their opponents away with their last but one trio of  Trevor Lawrence, Raheem Mostert and James Connor going unopposed in the late Sunday stanza. As it turned out neither of the three had a match winning effort but critically all three did contribute and while obviously Geacher the Younger would have liked a little more..... a score apiece that just kept the scoreboard ticking over was the next best thing to hitting the tie winning jackpot. For the record Conner's 16 yard sprint to the pylon on a TD grab was the one that kept the motor running but QB Lawrence had a rough night prior to  hitting on an 18 yard Td and subsequently heading to the sideline. Raheem Mostert's short score at the end of the first half wound up being Miami's only touchdown as the juggernaut offense uncharacteristically struggled in the red zone against Dallas. Scoreline - Killers 33 Lions 12. WR Courtland Sutton has slowed down a little after as strong late season run, and as last Killer out as he went unopposed at the new Mile High in the early hours of Christmas Day, the feeling was strong that any sort of score outside a half of a successful 2 point attempt would get into the territory of a match winning position. However  the wideout was rarely a factor after an early visit to the medical tent and he was not a factor. With the Double K now done and dusted and the scoreline  still set at 33-12 it was now all about the Lions ability to claw their way back with the remaining 4 player mix of Eagles and Niners. First out of the chute on Xmas Day were Philly double WR Devonta Smith and his DST team-mates and I have to think a now concerned coach Hamilton was looking for a minimum of 6pts from his combined Birds to get his closing Niners duo to within 15pts striking distance. Smith played his part with a 36 yard counter but just a single bonus point from the DST unit if not fatal certainly piled the pressure on closers CMC and Jake Moody later at Levi. McCaffrey was playing in the knowledge that only one RB in ALFF history (Marshall Faulk) had managed the duel feat of landing the ALFF individual honor AND a Bowl winners gong, and although it was a disastrous night for the 49ers on the whole at Levi Stadium , with turnovers galore, it was  hard to point any fingers at CMC as he punched in his 21st touchdown of the season, to once again outdo direct opponent Raheem Mostert. Thanks to the mistakes of others, Moody had another low-use game in this critical contest, but this time it was due to his team getting blown out by an opponent as opposed to the other way around. The rookie kicker managed just the one  field-goal and two XPs. Final Score : Lions 27 Killers 33. While most of the hype pointed to a Lions march to an expected season finale we should not be shocked by the Killers latest 3^rd Round success. Andrew improved his final four record to 5-3 as he took it all in his stride to make it to a  3rd straight Bowl game, and his 5^th overall. It would not be unkind to suggest Raheem Mostert had largely carried them this far in 2023 but the late return from injury of the likes of James Conner and Justin Jefferson are just the sort of injection this side needed to add to a late blossoming at WR.... and that pleasing upside from Cameron Dicker. An ALFF Bowl 25 re-match now awaits Andrew, with the chance to join the Commish on a League best 5 ALFF Titles. The mood at the Den must be stunned at best having gone 1 and done for the 5^th time in 8 play-off campaigns. This term the Lions were the gold standard for the rest of the League and with no obvious injury or the dreaded "rested players" scenario’s look all set to at least make the Bowl game for the first time since winning the whole enchilada in 2016. RB champion Christian McCaffrey was the obvious heartbeat of the side with the early form of rookie Jordan Addison the highlight of a combative WR corp that saw the likes of Devonta Smith , ASB and (another) rookie Jayden Reed take it in turns to shine. The kicking game was solid with timely switching between Harrison Butker and Jake Moody leaving only an 11th ranked QB unit as the only true Lions Achilles heel. After a bright start Jared Goff sort of hit the wall of mediocrity after Week 6..... a fact largely hidden by the fireworks elsewhere. Other than that first ever rushing honor for a Laurel RB, the Den based ball-club bagged their 2^nd  PDiv winners pennant, and second successive 400pts plus campaign, and a franchise best 4^th in a row winning term. Given his overall seeding and just missing out on the Bowl  I'm not going to review Jamesie's draft , other than to comment his decision to pick QB Aaron Rodgers ( "I didn’t really want him")....is perhaps the only downside on arguably coach H's rookie rich best day in the war-room. The Pride HC will pick just behind his main Div rival in 10^th spot in the 2024 selection party. Andrew's 2-0 play-off record cuts Jamesie's lead in the ATS to 6-3.

ALFF Bowl 31

Its Bowl Time And The Drillers Are Justin

Wide-out Rashid Shaheed opens the scoring for the Drillers.

The 2 Minute Drillers ended a nightmare four straight one and done record in the post season as they cantered to an easier than expected 26-16 triumph over the out of sorts Westburn Blades. The ALFF tea-leaf reader had suggested it was more likely the Commissioner's Crew would be the one making up the numbers if this 3^rd Rd tie did not morph in to a full blown contest, but to the surprise of everyone it was the No 3 seeds who gift wrapped a first Bowl appearance since 2017 for the newly crowned Bon Accord Division champions. Coming of a 50-34 demolition of the Scunthorpe Steelers in Round 2, Youngblood had every reason to believe the injury hit Drillers were there for the taking as he sought to get to the "big one" for the first time since 2020 with the only change to the side that laid a 50 burger on Adamski last weekend the introduction of RB James Cook for his first start of the season at the expense of injury concern Kareem Hunt. The two week "rest" period for the Drillers had not been a happy one. QB C J Stroud and all four usual suspects at RB on the 2 Minute depth chart were listed as questionable at best, meaning the Drillerdome selection committee had little option but run Jake Browning at QB, with Josh Jacobs a reach at RB2 as to his availability come Monday night. A fit again Rasheed Shaheed was the only familiar face in a totally revamped WR crew that also featured duo Isaiah Likely and Rondale Moore. The Blades won their Week 11 RS clash 25-21  thanks largely to Josh Dobbs last hurrah. The tone in this tie was set early but not in a way the pundits expected. A TNF prologue featured the aforementioned Rasheed Shaheed going head to head against much fancied Stuie (Rams) pairing RB Kyren Williams and WR Cooper Kupp. If anyone had offered coach Rickaby the chance to escape Sofi trailing by just 3pts then I can assure you , your hand would now be safely tucked away in his gullet. Shaheed had the distinction of opening the 3^rd Round scoring when he hauled in a 45 yard TD catch and run and for a spell it appeared that might just be that as the Rams dominated but crucially without recourse to either of Stuie's duo. Finally however,  Williams blasted in from 10 yards out but with  Kupp failing to score 06-03 to the Blades was clearly not the fast start that coach Bothwell Jnr was anticipating. The Saturday action was spread over an early outing for Jake Browning at Acrisure Stadium and a second doze of Sofi action with Youngblood this time featuring  a pair of likely looking Buffalo Bills.  Truth be told, the Drillers passer struggled mightily in Pittsburgh, but an out of the blue 80 yard strike early in the 3^rd quarter came with his share of a successful 2pt attempt to suddenly give Jimbeaux another taste of a lead at 10-06 as we headed back to LA. RB James Cook had looked almost unstoppable in Week 15 NFL action, but it was  back to back Sofi slumps for Stuie with neither the ballcarrier or wideout stablemate Stefon Diggs able to impact a score-line that was now approaching "alarming" for the Knife Drawer outfit.  The early Sunday stanza was now effectively do or die for the No 3 seeds with a lot riding on kicker Matt Gay and Rd 2 stand-out Sam LaPorta with no Drillers in action. Last time out the two accounted for 21pts between them in their spanking of the Steelers, but it was a very different kettle of fish this time round with the kickers single 33 yard FG and lone PAT making for a hope killing 4pt tally that left the sides tied at 10-10. With only Mayfield and their top ranked Dallas DST to come for the ex NZ outfit the writing was very nearly on the wall. The second Sunday stanza did feature a DST head to head between the respective units at Hard Rock but a possible defensive points fest played out as a tame Driller favoring  1-0 victory for the BA combo's Miami squad. That meant it was really all on Baker at Raymond James  , with the knowledge he had to go gangbusters.... and even that might not be enough. In the event the passer threw  a couple of TD tosses to pad the Westburn final total to 16pts and although neither De'Von Achane or Rondale Moore were able to finish the tie off, both carding goose eggs, it really did look like game over with the Drillers just 11-16 behind and three starters still to come, including kicker Justin Tucker. There was a little wobble as the Commissioner's gamble on Josh Jacobs fitness came up empty with the runner listed as a late IA at Arrowhead pushing all the BA sides hopes to their final destination at Levi Stadium  and there was still some angst in the festive Drillerdome camp with some nervous glances at the "what might have been" unclaimed McLaughlin pot in Tampa, but there was also quiet resolve and a little confidence in kicker Justin Tucker to get the job done, with or without the need to call on double buddy Isaiah Likely. As it transpired the kicker repaid that trust in spades.....in what was a historic outing for the 12 year specialist. An initial 28 yard FG just before the end of Q1 was soon followed by a Q2 XP and 41 Yd FG that made sure of a Drillers win before half time, with a further double dose of FG's and XP's boosting his final individual tally to a meaty 15pts. In amongst that scoring barrage Legatron elevated himself to the highest scoring Kicker of all time in ALFF circles , eclipsing Stephen Gostkowksi's previous 1392pt record before becoming only the 3^rd player in ALFF history to breech the 1400 career points mark ( Tom Brady* and Peyton Manning). A final 26-16 scoreline sent the Bon Accord champions to their 11^th season finale and an AB 23 re-match against the Kincorth Killers. This was not quite classic Drillers but with every chance they will have better options at both  QB and RB there are some thoughts at the Drillerdome that surviving this round may just be the springboard they need to get a sixth Steven Wood success. Even that 11^th ranked WR unit ( the worst in Driller history) has shown some small signs of life at this crucial time. Post season Blades wins over the Drillers are in the hens teeth category ( Youngblood's single success in 4 previous coming back in his 2005 title run) but there was a feeling that this time round things were just configured the right way. Sadly for coach Bothwell Jnr that was not the case, as he slumps to 2-5 at the 3^rd round stage. It's a tough ending to a season that saw the back in Berryden head-honcho work his socks off to keep his side not just relevant but one of the leading lights. Injuries to key players such as QB Kirk Cousins, top draft pick Nick Chubb and retained RB Kenneth Walker would have ended most coaches chances of play-off participation but shrewd  pick-ups such as RBs Kyren Williams & Kareem Hunt plus K Dustin Hopkins allied to a late trade for Baker Mayfield very much kept the Westburn star burning brightly, only a high scoring Wk 12 loss to the Laurel Lions depriving them of another PDiv pennant and the No 1 seed overall. The club MVP award will no doubt go to their Dallas DST who set a new ALFF mark at the position for points overall in a single season. A draft analysis is probably not relevant given Stuie lost 2 of his top 4 picks inside mid-season and 5^th Rounder K Daniel Carlson, was inexplicably a total bust ( inexplicable equals McDaniel plus Jimmy G). On the upside 2023 has to go down as a  successful bounce back from a grim 2022 with rookie WR Sam LaPorta (14^th Rd) the pick of an intriguing rookie crop that did not flash much this time round but has lots of upside potential in the likes of RB duo Roschon Johnson and Kendre Miller.....with QB Hendon Hooker also in the mix. Picking ninth in the 2024 draft will likely suit Youngblood's approach to the annual selection event. Coach Rickaby's 4-1 post season record v Stuie extend his lead in the ATS to 15-9.