Football
South Asian Football League (SAFL) PREDICTIONS – Week 3
Prime Time
Prime Time lost by 7 points against title contenders AK. We couldn’t believe that Prime Time was actually able to play AK so well. We’ve mentioned that this team is a terrific mix of veterans and new talented players. They have a solid defense and have good team IQ. Their QB has done a great job adapting to the league and creating great chemistry with his receivers. This team will continue to improve and climb up the standings.
Elites
The Elites are the most disappointing team so far. They’re averaging 15 pts per game and are giving up about 30 points per game. That’s a recipe for disaster. They’re offense is stale and has 0 creativity and their defense isn’t what we expected them to be. Is this a result of a lack of chemistry, leadership, QB talent or all of the above? We didn’t expect them to look this bad. Luckily for them, they’re entering their 3rd game of the season and they have a chance to turn this around.
QB matchup
We have to give the edge to the Prime Time QB. He’s been consistent and he’s an early candidate for rookie of the year. He wasn’t phased one bit when playing against that AK defense. Elites are only averaging 15 points per game. This has to fall on the QB. He must be more creative Edge = Prime Time
Offense
Elites are struggling to put up points while Prime Time is averaging a respectable 25 points per game. Prime Time receivers run good smart routes and know how to attack a defense. The Elites look like they have no game plan on offense. Edge = Prime Time
Defense
Elites have the better athletes. They’re just not playing very well right now. Prime Time have good veteran leadership with exceptional IQ. Edge = Prime Time
Matchup
Can the Elites live up to their off season hype? Can they right the ship and go on a winning streak. The Elites are the most desperate team here. They need to come out fired up and attack Prime Time. If they can take an early lead, look for them to tighten up that defense. Prime Time looks poised and aren’t afraid of anyone. They’ve looked very good in their first 2 games and we expect them to beat the Elites.
Prime Time 27 – Elites 21
AK vs Gators
AK
Prime Time gave AK all they can handle. They played excellent defense and nearly upset AK. Has AK looked explosive or unbeatable?. No. Can they be explosive and practically invincible? Yes. AK usually picks up a ton of momentum during the middle of the season. When AK is at their peak, there’s only 1 team that can beat them. We still haven’t seen the best of AK which is scary as hell. They’re quietly 2-0 and we expect them to go undefeated in the regular season.
Gators
These guys are the biggest surprise of the season so far. They’ve crushed the Browns and Elites. They’ve already scored 87 points. To be fair, they played against 2 teams wit struggling defenses. However, this team looks like a title contender so far. They’re dynamic on both sides of the ball with intelligent players. You don’t hear a word from them in the chats and they just quietly go about their business. They have a huge test against AK. Historically, AK has dominated the Gators. The Gators are more athletic than before so this will be a terrific matchup.
QB Matchup
The Gators have a new QB that has ripped the league apart. He’s smart, accurate and doesn’t make many mistakes. He has completely changed the dynamics of this team. Ofcourse we know what Sims is capable of. The Gators defense looks like a well oiled machine. Sims will have his work cut out for him against rookie of the year candidate Shady. Sims is the proven QB. Edge = AK
Offense
The Gators are a top 3 offense right now. They’ve shredded the Browns and Elites’ zone defense. Historically they struggle against man defense. The AK offense can score against any defense. Simis can easily drop 50 on any given Saturday. Edge = AK
Defense
Gators usually play a strong zone defense. They’re arguably the best defensive team in the league. AK’s pedigree is their man defense. But, they’ve been burned on man defense plenty of times. Edge = Gators
Matchup
This is a terrific matchup. Both teams are undefeated and both teams want to make a significant statement early in the season. We don’t think this will be a high scoring game. This will come down to the final 5 minutes of the game.
Gators 33 – AK 30
Browns vs Thunder
Browns
The Browns suffered an ugly loss at the hands of the Gators. It is extremely rare to see the Browns take a beating of epic proportions. Their defense looked slow, old and tired. The Gators came out and lit them up all over the field. The Browns also showed their level of frustration throughout the entire game. Shu uncharacteristically throw a couple of bad picks. Is this just regular season rust or this something to keep our eyes on? We’ve all seen this before. The Browns start out poorly on defense and then during the end of the season, they finish as a top 6 defense. We’re also not buying into the potential internal turmoil rumor. These guys have won 5 championships. Internal turmoil rumors are non-sense. Lucky for them they get to rebound against the hapless Thunder.
Thunder
Boy oh boy…where do we start with this team? Hey Thunder…our job is not to thrash your team every week on this forum. Our job is to state facts, sprinkle in some tough love and advice when we’re in a good mood. If you want to be at least average in this league, you have to be good at something. For example – AK=man defense, Browns=IQ and offense, Bandits=Toughness and defense…etc. What are the Thunder CONSISTENTLY good at AS A TEAM? We honestly can’t think of a damn thing. Yeah there are flashes of solid defense…yes they have speed and youth…what does that all amount to – L after L after L. You MUST have an identity to survive in this league. We really thought this team took a gigantic step 2 weeks ago when they narrowly lost to the Bandits. We questioned if it was an aberration or if this team finally figured it out. There won’t be no jokes or harsh criticism today. We’re extremely disappointed in this team and we expect better. Last week was an awful look for this franchise. They’re back at square 0 yet again. They picked a bad week to play poorly. Right now, they’re staring at 0-3 and the game against the Browns didn’t even start yet.
QB Matchup
We don’t have a clue where Jawid is. Is he still part of this team? Has he moved on? Will they continue to roll out the same QB this week? All these questions are extremely concerning. Shu is Shu. What else do we need to say about the great one. Edge = Browns
Offense
This is not even worth discussing. Thunder are averaging an abysmal 7 points per game. Enough said. Edge = Browns
Defense
The Browns defense looked very bad last week and so did the Thunder. Which team will bounce back defensively? Our money is on the Browns. Edge = Browns
Matchup
This game can get ugly VERY quickly. The Browns are fuming based on last week’s terrible performance. What better way to bounce back against arguably the worst team in the league? Look for Shu and the offense to dominate early. Also, we guarantee a Sohel at QB sighting!
Browns 52 – Thunder 21
Savages vs Cobra Kai
Savages
Man, what a difference one season can make. Last year the Savages were a Top 4 team throughout the entire season. After losing a few players to the Renegades and then Hashim and Lutalo both suffering injuries, the Savages are now 0-2 and sharing last place with the Thunder and The Elites. They had a great opportunity last week against the Renegades last week but came up short because of extra points. They have another great opportunity this week against a Cobra Kai team that’s still finding themselves. Look for the Savages to come right out the gate. They don’t want to be sitting at 0-3.
Cobra Kai
Man, what a difference one season can make. Last year Cobra Kai were at the Bottom 4 throughout the entire season. After gaining a few players they’ve really turned things around. Fabio and Anthony have done a great job recruiting in the offseason. They’ve picked up a stud QB in Yash, who we thought was done for the season in game 1 but was able to persevere, they’ve brought in an experienced receiver core to fill out the roster. The offense looks great and their defense is veryyy, very good. Amongst the best this year. The core of this group is strong with Fabio, JP, Anthony, Alex and Baktash. We are expecting some great things from this team this year.
Matchup
These 2 teams have literally been on opposite sides of the spectrum over the last 2 seasons. It’s almost as if they’ve switched positions. Total polar opposites. Cobra has shown that they are a contender this year if everyone especially Yash can stay healthy. Savages, on the other hand, are missing key players at almost every position. They are praying that Hashim heals up soon and takes more control on the field. Pavy has done a great job stepping in but is in a spot he isn’t used to. Tom has been playing QB and has done a decent job but is still learning the way. Without an experienced QB its hard for guys like Joey, David and Vijay to do their thing. Hopefully for them they can turn it around….
Going with Cobra Kai…
Cobra Kai 35
Savages 21
Bandits vs Renegades
Bandits
The Bandits pulled off a nice victory last week against a struggling Elites squad. The Bandits have always been known for their defense and this year is no exception. The offense is a little lackluster. They can make big plays but a lot of times they can’t convert. They have some good talent surrounding Jason but again they struggle in the redzone. Bandits defense had about 7 picks, 2 of which were pick 6’s by Dheeraj. We like the Bandits this year but the focus has shifted to 2-3 guys which is a bad formula for long term success. If Jsaon can spread the ball around a little more they can be a real threat this year. We do want to commend the recruiting efforts by the Bandits. They brought in some good talent in ZQ and David to round out the core of the group.
Renegades
The Renegades had a much needed victory against the Savages last week. Anwar has proven that with a good QB any team can have success. The core of this group is Anwar, Aasheesh. Irfan, Saeed and PJ. Household names in the SAFL. These guys are all known to be elusive and efficient when it matters most. Week 1 might have just been an anomaly but if they can pull off a victory against the Bandits they will definitely shoot up in the rankings. We aren’t 100% sold just yet but we’re almost there.
Renegades are on the upswing but the Bandits have solid momentum right now….
Bandits 28
Renegades 21