Week 2 – Game of the Week
Los Angeles and Pennsylvania both scored 36 points in Week 1, which placed them both firmly in the middle of the pack for scoring. Both the Riot! and the Wildcats managed Week 1 wins due primarily to an off-week by their opponent more than anything else. The winning team this week will most likely need to score more than 36 points. Look for both teams to score more than 36 points, with this game not being decided until the Monday night tilt pitting the Eagles and Packers.
Also watch: Carolina vs. Butler offers another good matchup this week, and with Emmitt Smith and Warren Moon both questionable, Wisconsin vs. State College could be a tight, low-scoring affair.
Week 1 in Review:
Surprise Slugfest
The Mercer Mustangs and the Pittsburgh Pachyderms provided a surprise slugfest for Fantasy Football’s opening weekend. The Mustangs and Pachyderms cranked out the 2nd and 3rd highest points of the week, with Mercer taking a narrow 56-51 victory. The New York Griffons, defending high-point champions, continued strong with the top score of the week in a 57-40 victory over the expansion Newport Beach Nightmare.
Two-time defending champion Wisconsin Cheeseheads managed a victory over the newly-named expansion franchise “Keystone Longfellows” – – but a late injury to Emmitt Smith has the Cheesehead Fanatics holding their breaths.
The projected games of the week turned out to be the two games which went down to the wire. Carolina needed a 10 point night from Curtis Conway and Miami needed a 7 point night from Erik Kramer. Neither scenario played out, so the Pennsylvania Wildcats and the State College Bandits both held on to victories.
Richmond owner Chris Lieberman, absent from the draft and absent, too, from reality (some have argued), pulled off the first 2 bonehead moves of the season for the Raptors: 1) He started Rashaan Salaam, who was announced last week as a no-go for the Bears; and 2) he only called in 7 players for his lineup. Applying current league rules, his 8th starter was determined to be Marco Battaglia, TE, Bengals… who also contributed a big goose egg in the scoring column. (NOTE: I originally posted the 8th player as Michael Irvin, but changed it after double-checking the rules). Oops! The Raptors end up with no points for runners or receivers!
Game summaries are at bottom of the page.
Expansion team report
Kickoff with the Longfellows
By I. M. Long
Longfellow Beat Reporter
With their purple helmets glistening in the early afternoon sun, the Keystone Longfellows were unleashed into the FFL on Sunday. High expectations surrounded this squad of unusually LARGE men with their strengths lying in long, deep penetrating drives and multiple scores.
The Longfellows, however, did not rise to the occasion. A crucial error in judgement by head coach Johnny W. Holmes left week one star Keith Jackson on the bench. With his 23 points the Longfellows would have upset the defending chumps from cheeseland. Coach Holmes stated that Jackson did not “measure up” to Longfellow standards in the preseason. Holmes now admits that this was “premature evaluation” on his part, and will seek immediate counseling so that next time he “evaluates” he won’t make such a mess of things.
Longfellow HEAD cheerleader Marilyn Chambers attempted to sum up the day by saying “mmmn mmmnn mmm.” (she really needs to learn not to speak with her mouth full).
Stat of the week
compiled by Nick Fisher
Coming into Week 1 of this season, we had several consecutive-week scoring streaks alive. With a generally low-scoring week one, several of those streaks were ended: O.J. McDuffie at 5, Bernie Parmalee at 10, Yancey Thigpen at 14, and Isaac Bruce at 16.
Scoring streaks still alive are:
Terry Allen – 6 weeks
Barry Sanders – 8 weeks
Terrance Mathis – 9 weeks
Derek Loville – 9 weeks
Carl Pickens – 11 weeks
Cris Carter – 11 weeks
Anthony Miller – 12 weeks
Herman Moore – 26 weeks
Emmitt Smith – 37 weeks
Emmitt Smith has scored in every week that he has been played since posting zero in Week 12 of 1993. It should be noted that he was not played in Week 17 of 1994, even though the Cowboys were active that week (he was being rested for the playoffs, if I remember correctly).
New York 57, Newport Beach 40
The defending point champions picked up right where they left off in 1995, posting the high score for Week 1, led by Herman Moore’s 17-point effort. Kicker Al DelGreco added 12, and both QB Steve Bono and RB Terrell Davis added 8 apiece. All starters with the exception of Isaac Bruce scored. 13 of 15 players on the entire roster would have scored points. The Nightmare was paced by QB Jim Kelly and RB Thurman Thomas, who scored 11 each.
Mercer 56, Pittsburgh 51
The slugfest of the week posted the 2nd and 3rd highest scores. RB Terry Allen led the way for the Mustangs, posting 20 points. WR Andre Reed added 14, and K Norm Johnson knocked in 10 points. For the Pachyderms, QB MVP Brett Favre picked up where he left off last season, tossing in 18 points. Rookie RB, and No. 1 draft pick Lawrence Phillips added 12 points, and K Steve Christie chipped in 11.
Wisconsin 43, Keystone 26
The defending champs had a consistent but unspectacular day, with 7 of 8 starters scoring, but only RB Raymont Harris scored in double digits (11). WR Shawn Jefferson was the only Cheesehead starter who failed to scored (and he was carried off the field on a stretcher in that game). The Longfellows’ debut would have been memorable had they played TE Keith Jackson, but in his absence the Keystone receivers notched a big goose egg. K Jeff Wilkins led the pack with 9 points.
Pennsylvania 36, Carolina 30
The Wildcats held off the Big Bang in the week’s second-closest contest. RB Barry Sanders led the Cats with 14 points, and 2nd round draft pick Chris T. Jones added 11. The Big Bang saw 7 of 8 starters score, but none managed double-digits. WR Terrance Mathis topped the list at 8 points.
Los Angeles 36, Dallas 21
The Riot! started off the season with 7 of 8 starters scoring, led by WR Cris Carter’s 11 points. Only Tampa Bay RB Mike Alstott failed to score for the Riot! Dallas was paced by Jerry Rice’s 11-point effort. Armadillo fans have to be a little concerned over the situation in Miami. Dan Marino posted a negative 1 on the weekend, and the Dolphins suddenly can win with the running game.
Butler 34, Richmond 11
The Blowfish kick off the season on the right fin, downing the hapless Raptors. WR Tim Brown led the way for the Fish, scoring 12 points. RB James Stewart added 11. Richmond may be in for a rough start to the season, as injuries and suspensions are hurting this team. Only QB John Elway (6) and K Gary Anderson (5) scored for the Raptors.
State College 24, Miami 17
Looking at these two rosters, you’d expect one team to score 41 points, not both of them combined. WR Tamarick Vanover and K Pete Stoyanovich led the way for the Bandits, scoring 8 points apiece. Kicker Doug Pelfrey chipped in 11 points for Miami.
Did you notice…..
Three teams started Tampa Bay running backs in Week One: LA started Mike Alstott; SC started Jerry Ellison; MI started Reggie Brooks. All three RBs failed to scored. It doesn’t look as though any of these guys will be the “next Errict Rhett.”
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