Back on the attack with another edition of Predictions for week 8. Now, we are hearing rumors that games might be cancelled so if they are will have to do some rescheduling and all that noise….here we go….
BROWNS VS COBRA KAI
BROWNS
The Browns man-handled the Elites in a rout! The final score was 39-13. The Browns have been playing very well on defense recently. They’re giving up an average of 20 points per game in their last 3 games, which is very respectable. At the same time, they’ve played the Elites, Bandits and lousy Thunder. They’re in mid-season form and are currently ranked as the number 3 seed. They have the league’s biggest weapon in Nafi – who by the way is an MVP candidate. It appears that the Browns are pushing Nafi for the league lead in catches and TDs. We recall when the Browns only show cased Nafi for a few games during the regular season and then optimized his services for the playoffs. He is absolutely in the discussion for the MVP or at least the offensive player of the year.
COBRA KAI
Cobra Kai played their best game of the season and defeated a depleted Bandits team. Congrats to Cobra Kai for their first win in franchise history! For the most part, they played smart on both ends of the field. They got off to a big start. The Bandits almost completed an epic comeback, but fell short by 3 points. Fabio has done a solid job in keeping this team relatively competitive in the last few games. They’re improving and progressing every week. They’re finally figuring out defensive schemes and have done a great job identifying their best players. It’ll be very interesting where this team finishes in the standings. As of right now, they’re the 8th seed.
MATCHUP
Although we’ve seen intermittent improvement from CK, they are no where near the talent level the Browns possess. The Browns are completing the easiest part of the schedule and they’re seeking to put up 60 on CK. CK has been very determined and a bit cocky in our chats. A win in the regular season is great, but the playoffs is what matters. There is no comparison in QBs, offense or defense so there’s no point assessing those facets of the game. The Browns are too good. CK would be lucky to keep this game in the 40s.
BROWNS 50 – CK 19
BANDITS VS ELITES
BANDITS
Boy have the Bandits looked bad this season. A once proud franchise remains as the only winless team in the league. They almost pulled off an improbably come back against CK and fell just short. They’re ranked 7th in defense and 8th in offense. This is not the same Bandit squad we’ve grown to admire for several years. They’re clearly in rebuild mode and lack the top notch talent they’re accustomed to having. They just don’t have the athletes and talent to be a top 5 team this year. No one would’ve expected them to be 0-6. As it stands, they have the hardest path in the playoffs. However, they now have the easiest schedule to finish off the season. 1 game against the Elites and 2 against the lowly Thunder. They can potentially move up to the 7th seed if they pull out a few victories. Those 2 games against the Thunder can be the difference between a potential 7th seed and 9th seed. At this rate, the way the lousy Thunder are playing, the Bandits are pretty much a lock for 2 victories. This team does play hard and has a lot of heart. They have some nice pieces they can build on for years to come.
ELITES
You’ve won 2 games against the Thunder and Cobra Kai. You narrowly beat them by the slightest margins. You played arguably your best game of the season against the Underdogs and lost. What is it with the hype surrounding the Elites? We don’t get it! You also go on the chats and run your mouths as if you’re a top 4 team. You’re 6th in offense, but only a few points away from being 8. You’re 6th defensively and not far from 7th. NEWSFLASH – Elites are a below average team with a record of 2-4!! They’ve improved their regular season win total from last year from 0 to 2…whooptido! All this hype of the Elites being so good drives us nuts. We just don’t see it. There’s a very slim margin between the 6-9 seeds. The Elites actually can end up the 9th seed if they don’t improve their play. They’ve proven they can beat below average teams only. Also, there are times where Anas has actually looked better than Aldo. Aldo has flashes of brilliance, but can be a turnover machine. It also hurts the Elites when every week they’re changing QBs. They have a tough matchup against a very hungry Bandit team that is so close to victory.
MATCHUP
The Bandits are the hungriest team in the league. They’re desperate for a win and as we mentioned, they have the easiest schedule to close out the season. The Elites have been slumping lately and the hype doesn’t equate to their recent performance. If we look at QBs, Jay and Aldo/Anas are practically equal. We may give a very slight edge to the Elites here. Offensively, the Bandits are actually better in this matchup. They have better weapons than the Elites. Jay is an intelligent QB and will find the holes in the Elite defense. Defensively, the Elites have played a lot better than the Bandits. Surprisingly, they rank 6th. The Bandits need this win real bad and they will be victorious!
BANDITS 32 – ELITES 26
