PFFL Week 12 2009

Pittsburgh Survival Football
Survivor 1: There were some light casualty weeks this year but none as light as this week's zero! The week wasn't without some drama but it didn't involve the heavier played teams this time. A fourth and goal Touchdown pass with 23 seconds left kept the 12 on Atlanta in the contest and Philadelphia's field goal with less than 2 minutes saved 3. And I guess not everyone is a Stiller fan as there was 1 pick on Baltimore that survived overtime. Cincinnati and Dallas carried the brunt of the action and both won easily. All 7 teams picked won advancing all 117 survivors into week 13. With just 5 weeks to go not only does the record of 8 survivors picking 17 right in both 2005 and 2008 seem likely to fall, but the survivor 2 record of 70 would seem to be in danger also.
Survivor 2: The only difference between the first and second contests besides the number of survivors is Baltimore was picked in the first and not the second and Minnesota was picked in the second and not the first. The 6 other teams picked were the same and all 7 won keeping the second contest total at 58. Usually the first contest has all the drama coming down to the wire but with 117 left in that one compared to 58 here, the roles may be reversed this year.

PFFL POSTSEASON

Week 13 - First Round Playoffs: This week the Wildcard winners will compete against the #3 and #4 seeds in each conference. The Wildcard losers will compete in the second round of the Consolation Tournament. The #1 and #2 seeds receive another bye. All Matchups are determined by rank with the highest rank always playing the lowest rank and the higher rank winning all ties. A detailed breakdown of the seedings, byes, and matchups of the postseason can be found in the Playoff Formats page.

The 18 Official Teams of the 2009 Playoffs Ranked by Total Points
Point Rank	Rank/Franchise	VP	W-L-T	PF	PP	PWR	Eff
1	2 Knockout Kings	31	7-3-1	1629	1830	34.53	89.0%
2	1 MNE	32	8-3-0	1607	1917	38.24	83.8%
3	1 Justice	29	8-3-0	1579	1866	35.83	84.6%
4	3 Archie's	28	6-5-0	1577	1720	32.59	91.7%
5	2 TD's	29	7-4-0	1557	1770	34.01	88.0%
6	4 Downtowners	25	6-5-0	1553	1756	32.92	88.4%
7	2 SS Stoggies	29	7-4-0	1541	1787	34.25	86.2%
8	3 IC Lightning	29	6-5-0	1538	1835	33.43	83.8%
9	3 TnT	27	7-4-0	1531	1767	33.01	86.6%
10	1 Reno	30	8-3-0	1509	1742	34.83	86.6%
11	5 T Bones	25	6-5-0	1491	1786	32.47	83.5%
12	7 Syndicate	21	5-6-0	1464	1649	30.01	88.8%
13	4 French River	25	7-4-0	1456	1712	31.86	85.0%
14	5 Irish Talbots	25	5-5-1	1449	1752	32.30	82.7%
15	6 Cleantown	24	7-4-0	1396	1676	31.54	83.3%
16	4 Pretty Kitty Central	25	7-4-0	1395	1705	31.32	81.8%
17	8 Nasty Aggravators	19	5-6-0	1383	1680	29.07	82.3%
18	6 J&J	22	6-5-0	1380	1657	29.16	83.3%
	Playoff Teams Average			1502
	League Average			1426

PFFL FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF MATCHUPS

EAST
Rank/Team	VP	W-L-T	Pts	Comments
#7 Syndicate vs. #3 IC Lightning	21	5-6-0	1464	After back to back #1 rankings and back to back Championship Game appearances the last two years, the Syndicate had to settle for a measly #7 ranking and a wildcard this year. They drew a favorable matchup at least with the last place team in points and beat the former Enigma but now just pathetic Commish East 135-115. Their next draw seems to be another good one but not because they are a weak opponent but because IC Lightning has fewer points than the alternative Downtowners. But Looks can be deceiving because although the Lightning are 4th in conference points to the Towners 3rd, their potential points rank 2nd and 3rd overall in the league. In their week 7 meeting the Syndicate prevailed 139-125 but the site has made the Lightning an early 13 point favorite for this one. You might think to give an edge to the Syndicate at QB because of Peyton but the way Favre has been playing maybe not. Both are solid at WR with maybe a slight edge to the Syndicate because of Wayne but the RBs is what really separates the two. The Lightning has 3 solid backs led by AP compared to Barber heading up a very mediocre crew for the Syndicate.
#7 Syndicate vs. #3 IC Lightning	29	6-5-0	1538
#5 T Bones vs. #4 Downtowners	25	6-5-0	1491	The T Bones didn't get a bye but they did get the next best thing, a wildcard game against a Darrlys team that scored a last place 73 points. And since their 107 points ranked next to last for the week, they apparently treated it like a bye. Before the Downtowners start licking their chops I should mention the T Bones had a potential to score 179. The reason the T Bones didn't get an official bye is because the Downtowners beat them in the final regular season game 150-116. But the site doesn't predict another blowout making the Towners just a 2 point early favorite. Since it would appear Warner is going to play for the Downtowners this week we'll call the QB position a wash with the T Bones Schaub. If Michael Turner plays the Bones have a clear advantage at RB but if he doesn't they still have an advantage as they are deep at RB but maybe just not as clear. The WRs on the surface clearly go to the Downtowners but the Bones do have receivers with big game potential. The problem for the T Bones this week will be choosing the right players to play which they evidently didn't do in their wildcard game. The Downtowners shouldn't have more than 1 lineup decision to make but the Bones will have many. If they make the right decisions that 179 potential could become actual but they won't get away with another dud that's for sure.
#5 T Bones vs. #4 Downtowners	25	6-5-0	1553

Week 13 East CT Schedule

#9 Aggravators vs. #8 Darryls #10 Legion of Doom vs. #6 Commish East

CENTRAL

Rank/Team VP W-L-T
Pts

Comments

#8 Nasty Aggravators

vs.

#3 TnT 19 5-6-0 1383 Timing is everything and the Nasty Aggravators have picked the right time to get hot. They finished the regular season with two straight wins to earn the final wildcard birth and remained hot with a weekly second in their 146-126 wildcard win over the Boys of Autumn this week. They've averaged 133 the last three weeks compared to just 109 in the weeks preceding. TnT did defeat them 133-95 in week 6 but that was in one of those preceding weeks. But they will have to remain hot because although they have cooled a bit recently, TnT is still the second ranked team in Central points. And the only reason they are second and not first is because of a Roethlisberger injury and some bad decisions of late. Big Ben should be good to go this week but Peyton trumps him anyway so QB edge to the Aggravators. The Aggravators do have some capable backs but TnT's squad captained by AP gives them the RB edge for sure. The Aggravators don't stink at WR either but with a now healthy Boldin and the emergence of Austin Miles, just throw in a Colston and TnT takes two of three categories.

27 7-4-0 1531

#6 Cleantown

vs.

4 Pretty Kitty Central
24 7-4-0 1396 Cleantown woke up from a 3 game losing streak to win their last 2 including a 122-86 wildcard win over a slumping JR's Boys to advance to a first round matchup with the #4 Pretty Kitty. The cute ones have the rank but not the momentum, having failed to break the league average the past two weeks, or the point advantage as Cleantown actually has 1 more point. Pretty Kitty did win their regular season matchup 127-99 in week 10 but Cleantown would have beaten them easily the last two weeks. With Matt Ryan out and Hasselbeck inconsistent at best, Cleantown gets the QB edge with McNabb. Cedric Benson back helps Cleantown's RB squad but Pretty Kitty's squad led by Jones-Drew is still much better. But Cleantown's strength is their WRs and so much so that even if DeSean Jackson doesn't play, it will only mean they won't have to make a decision on who to sit.

25 7-4-0 1395

Week 13 Central CT Schedule

#9 Little Johnny's vs. #7 JR's Boys #11 Weekend Warriors vs. #5 Boys of Autumn

WEST

Rank/Team VP W-L-T
Pts

Comments

#6 J&J

vs.

#3 Archie's 22 6-5-0 1380 Over the first 7 weeks of the season J&J averaged 103 with three games under 90 points. Again it's all about timing as over the last five weeks they sported an impressive 132 average and produced their best effort of the year in a wildcard game where every one of their players sustained double digits in a 145-127 win over Brookline. And speaking of timing, they now face a #3 Archie's team that although they are 3rd in conference points, have failed to break 100 the last two straight weeks. Two weeks ago this game would look like no contest after an Archie's three-game stretch of 144, 197, and 153 point games. But that was then and this is now; but speaking of then J&J can also boast a week 4 119-110 victory in their regular season meeting. Back to now brings us to the roster matchups and the previous 2 weeks aside I can see why the site has still made Archie's an early 18 point favorite. The QB's wash with Archie's Warner who should play vs. J&J's Rivers. J&J have a decent RB squad led by Gore but the potential for a monster game is off the charts with Archie's Chris Johnson. And again J&J's WRs are decent but again Archie's counters with another stud in Andre Johnson leading that squad. J&J definitely has the players to win this one but if Archie's studs go off they may need to produce an even better best effort.

28 6-5-0 1577

#5 Irish Talbots

vs.

#4 French River 25 5-5-1 1449 Why not? It was the River that forced the Talbots into the Wildcard Round and now they have the opportunity to force them into the Consolation Tournament - or vice versa! The Talbots didn't do much in their wildcard win scoring just 111 but the Rounder did little to nothing with just 78. The Talbots did a lot though in their week 1 regular season meeting crushing the River 153-100. But that was a long time ago and they haven't put up a score that high since while the River just put up 165 in week 11. We'll give the QB edge to the River with McNabb over Hasselbeck although Hasselbeck is still capable of a big game. If Cedric Benson plays as predicted his matchup alone against Detroit would give the Talbots the edge at RB but even without him they have the better RBs so the edge here to the Talbots and a big edge if Benson plays. The River unquestionably have the better WR corp though but the Talbots Reggie Wayne keeps it competitive at least. The real question is being a part of both teams who does Kevin root for? French River was his original team in the league but then again he is Irish. But then again no matter who wins he advances to the second round regardless. Now I see why Dean hates him so much; and Todd, and Harvey, and...

25 7-4-0 1456

Week 13 West CT Schedule

#10 B&B vs. #7 Brookline #9 Pretty Kitty West vs. #8 Rounder 17