Wild Card Weekend!
Matchup 1
#3 CheektoWojo (8-5) vs. #6 The Skyns (7-6)
Team Profile: CheektoWojo
The two-time defending AldenLeague Champions are Sandridge Division Champions for the second straight year, with a Central Division Championship in 2007 making it a divisional threepeat. After fighting off a 4-game losing streak in the first half of the regular season, CheektoWojo rebounded to take 6 of the next 7, and with the help of the BountyHunters dropping 3 of their last 4, the team got exactly what it needed to get back to the post-season in grand style. CheektoWojo is tied with Most Murderous as the most successful franchises in the playoffs, where the teams sport identical 8-4 records.
Team Profile: The Skyns
The regular season was an uphill struggle for the Skyns in 2009, but their ascent into the playoffs is one of the great stories of the season. A 3-5 start led to a 5-6 stance with two weeks left, and a demanding list of help for playoff berth. The cards all fell in the right place and the Skyns upheld their own part of the bargain in completing a season sweep of Fireseed and topping Most Murderous to boost the team into the postseason. The playoffs are a familiar setting for The Skyns – they’ve qualified for the postseason 6 times, but unfortunately that’s where the trouble begins. The Skyns are a lifetime 0-6 in the playoffs, the only team in the league (other than BountyHunters and Ice Cold Bruschi’s, who have never qualifed for the playoffs before this year) to be 0 for the playoffs.
Matchup Breakdown:
Last meeting: CheektoWojo won 177.34-169.92 in Week 8, on the strength of a 41.9-point effort by Ted Ginn Jr.
Last playoff meeting: None. This is the first playoff meeting between these teams.
Room for Improvement: The Skyns have 1 potential ACQ left. CheektoWojo has 0, after adding WR Sammie Strough this week.
Injury Report: The Skyns: RB Pierre Thomas worked on a limited basis on Wednesday due to a quad injury, and his game status was unknown. RB DeAngelo Williams is expected to start after missing last week. RB Ahmad Bradshaw, the only other current RB to go in case Thomas cannot, seems to be set on playing through his injury as he has been recently. CheektoWojo: QB Kurt Warner expected to be fine after suffering a hip pointer last week, and is clear of post-concussion symptoms. RBs Jamaal Charles and Matt Forte are no longer on the injury report. Reserve RB Jerious Norwood continues to play through injuries.
Key Matchups: CheektoWojo: QB Kurt Warner at San Francisco – the 49ers are ranked 27th vs. the pass this year. RB Jamaal Charles vs Buffalo – the Bills are dead last vs. the run this year. The Skyns: QB Peyton Manning vs Denver – the Broncos are ranked 2nd vs. the pass this year. RB Pierre Thomas @ Atlanta – the Falcons are 23rd vs the run.
Current Yahoo! points projection: CheektoWojo 172.38-The Skyns 154.71
Matchup 2
#4 BountyHunters (7-6) vs. #5 Most Murderous (7-6)
Team Profile: BountyHunters
And there was much rejoicing! Since joining AldenLeague in 2005, the BountyHunters have fought through some close, close battles, but never managed to end up in the playoffs once all the dust had settled. Until now! The curse has been lifted – BountyHunters are in the playoffs! A 6-game winning streak from Weeks 4-9 put the team in the driver’s seat this year, but of course, considering their past, things couldn’t be easy. They dropped their final 2 matchups to divisional rivals, but found themselves still as the #4 seed and a close runner-up in the Most Points race. Congratulations to Team BountyHunters for getting the playoff monkey off their back!
Team Profile: Most Murderous
You know their history. Member of the Original 3. 2-time AldenLeague Champions. A handful of divisional titles. Stunning success, mixed with a few seasons of equally stunning failure, including the league record for fewest points scored in a season (1,364.6 in 2003). The most famous bang-or-bust team in the league, Most Murderous came out firing in 2009 with a new team name, a new helmet, and 7 straight wins to start off the season. Not bad, huh? Then, things took a turn for the unexpected, or the extremely expected, depending how you look at it. In events symbolic of the team’s history, Most Murderous followed up their 7-0 start by dropping the next 6. No team has ever made the playoffs on a 6-game losing streak, but that shouldn’t be looked at as a sign of weakness: despite being on the losing side, they still put up 171 and 132 points on opponents in the last 3 weeks. Most Murderous enters the playoffs with an 8-4 lifetime playoff record, tying CheektoWojo as the best ever in postseason play.
Matchup Breakdown:
Last meeting: Most Murderous 161.53 – BountyHunters 150.81 in Week 3, with Most Murderous RB Maurice Jones-Drew leading the way with 39 points. That being said, these teams are very, very closely matched – less than 12 points separate their regular season point totals.
Last playoff meeting: None. This is their first postseason matchup.
Room for Improvement: Neither team has any ACQs left.
Injury Report: BountyHunters: QB Matt Schaub (shoulder) will play through his injury while wearing a brace. RB Michael Turner (sprained ankle) will play at less than 100% this week. Reserve WR Devin Hester (calf) did not practice Wednesday. Reserve RB Clifton Smith (concussion) is on IR. Most Murderous: K Shaun Suisham was cut on Tuesday by the Redskins. QB Matt Hasselbeck did not practice on Wednesday (shoulder), but is expected to be ready for Sunday. Reserve QB Matt Ryan (turf toe) will likely play through his injury.
Key Matchups: BountyHunters: RB Thomas Jones vs. Tampa Bay (31st vs. the run). QB Matt Schaub vs. Seattle (25th vs. the pass). Most Murderous: WR Vincent Jackson @ Atlanta (28th vs. receiving)
Current Yahoo! Point Projections: BountyHunters 153.61 – Most Murderous 153.22
