Optimal Madden League

Season II Playoff WRITE UPS

SUPER BOWL SPECIAL

Head to Head

When these two team line up it will without a doubt be a dawg fight in the trenches.

WETSU

If the Skins wanna win this one, they will need at least ONE pick from Couch.

Dawson's Squeek

Phil might have to come through in the Clutch to shut down the Skins in the final minute.

Super Bowl 2 of the OML League

Cleveland Browns (15-3) (TDG) vs. Washington Redskins (18-0) (Alma)

Its that time of year again!! Its Super Bowl time!!! We almost have somewhat of a Gruden scenario on our hands here. Former Browns coach faces his former team in the following years Super Bowl. The Browns will not stand by idly and let Alma take away what they have worked so hard for all season long!

This game features superior defenses on both teams. Both offenses have some weapons, but neither is outstanding, though they have both proven that they can put up the numbers when it is needed. This could very well be the best lot of linebackers in one game ever seen in Super Bowl history! Can anyone say, Defense wins championships? Of the 12 teams that made the playoffs leading up to this point, only 3 teams could have possibly been said to be more offensive minded. Did any of these teams make it to the final four? I think not. So here we have 2 teams led by their great defenses coming into this match looking to rip the opposing teams helmets off with the heads included!!! Way behind the line of scrimmage if I may!!!

Both playoff appearances for the Browns were extremely close games. They knocked off the Chargers in the second round by scoring a measly 12 points and then scored 17 against the Dolphins to knock them off. The key point here? You guessed it, their defense played a stingy role through both games shutting their opponents down and ending their seasons! However, the rusty Chevelle in Alma comes into the playoffs and gets absolutely lit up on defense, but manages to bring his offense up to the task and surpasses all games he has played on offense up to this point. The next game was much more of the same ol Skins playing much defense to obtain the NFC Championship setting up this match-up. No one expected the Browns to repeat before the season, but many picked the Redskins to be here because of his stellar defense and knowledge of the game. TDG has proven that he seems to have the same knowledge and efficiency in his defense. I think we should just throw the offenses out of this game and have the defense play BOTH sides of the field!! What do you guys think? That would be a sight baby!! Then we could really see a grind fest!!!

Unfortunately, we have to deal with the offenses on both sides. Their stats arent too shabby along the way. We pit Shane Matthews vs. Tim Couch. Couch goes to the air more than twice as much as Matthews completing 59% of their passes which is good, but compared to Matthews 76% completion rate and still throwing only 300yds less than Couch, he may be the one to decide this game yet. Rushing, both backs are very similar. William Green rushed for just over 1400 yards at 5.31 ypc with 116 broken tackles. Stephen Davis has almost done as well at 1150 yards at 6.1 ypc with 135 broken tackles. The reason I say almost as well is that Green has proven himself by catching 50 passes on the season too which adds yet another threat to open up the longer passing game. Both teams have a bunch of players on defense with sacks. Just to name a few well go with Dwayne Rudd at 14 sacks as well as Gerald Warren. On the Redskins we have Renaldo Wynn with 12 sacks and Lavar Arrington, Bruce Smith, and Dan Wilkinson all with 8. Just know that regardless of these players recognized, both teams linebackers can make tackles like you wouldnt believe. Both teams will need to find a way to get these players uninvolved in the game. Overall the teams are very evenly matched if you put everything together. I think that Shane Matthews' awareness as to what is going on is what wins this game, though on those pesky third downs. If he doesnt get happy feet, the Redskin fans should all be in for a treat!

Unfortunately, fans of the high flying offensive game will not be happy to watch this game if they cant stand grinding for every inch. There will be a lot of 3^rd downs to convert in this game. The key is which team will outperform on these third downs. There will have to be a lot of thinking going on to overcome the others defense on these third downs. These are the situations where the defense shines on both teams. The QBs will have to be calm in the pocket or they can find themselves scoring 7 quick points for the other team if theyre not careful. Lets not forget the tough running game on both sides. They HAVE to get the running game going or this will be a long day. Whoever can stay composed in the pocket and move the ball safely without fumbling or throwing it up rather than taking the sack will win this game. The odds are, one of these teams will literally throw the game! Defense reigns supreme over the highflying offense that most fans so wish to see. I guarantee you this, though, by halftime of this game, you will start to develop a passion for defense and start to love both sides of the game. If anyone is looking to better their knowledge the game, you have come to the right place. For those of you that already are in love with the defensive battles? This is a Battle for the Ages!!!

Its sad to see there can only be one winner, because both teams proved that it was their year. Will the Browns get their first back-to-back Super Bowl victories? Will the Redskins rewrite history and be the first ever undefeated 19-0 team in the NFL? Only 20 minutes will tellunless we have a scoreless game at the final gunshot? Get ready for a true test of wits and composure everyone! Here comes Super Bowl 2 of the OML league!

Prediction or Fiction

Will this be the score when the Browns line up for the final play, or when the gun sounds???

NFC Championship

by Hebass

#2 Seattle Seahawks (12-5) (Realm) at #1 Washington Redskins (17-0) (Alma):

Well its Championship time baby! This decides who is the best of the best is and who will earn the right to represent the conference they have fought so fiercely with all season long. This match-up could very well go down as one of the best ever. Both championship games involve 3 teams in the Championship last year all different owners, 1 by the same owner and OML Bowl 1 champ on a different team, the only team not in the Championship game last year, being the Washington Redskins. If I didnt force you to read that last sentence twice, then I have failed lol. Anyhow, the Redskins are still holding onto their dreams at rewriting the history books as the only team to ever finish as Super Bowl champs at 19-0. Can they get there? Not if the Seahawks have anything to say about it.

The Redskins are coming off of a high scoring affair last week over the always competitive Eagles. I had thought this game to be a grudge match on defense and boy was I wrong. This game featured possibly the most offense by any teams in any game all season long. The rusty Redskins D couldnt stop David Spade if he was wearing 20-pound ankle weights it seems. However, their offense was up to the task of foiling everything the Eagles set up making them look like they were just playing against a bunch of cones on the field. Can the offense keep up this game??? And if they cant will their defense be back to their old selves??? In come the Seahawks

The Seahawks come off of a high scoring game as well over the Green Bay Packers. Again, did I say it was going to be a dirty defensive game with multiple turnovers?? Yes, but (I hate to say the same thing twice but) boy was I wrongwell half wrong. The first play of the game would feature a turnover that would set up a touchdown for the Seahawks. This turnover would not be the deciding factor however. The Seahawks would proceed to shut down the Packers offense and give themselves a comfy 28-7 lead at halftime. They wouldnt let up in the 2^nd half either until the Packers managed a couple late scores, but it was little way too late and the Seahawks celebrate a huge win over the disappointed Packers. If the Seahawks can bring their D and stop the highflying Redskins offense, the Redskins may suffer their first loss at the wrong time.

This game looks to be an epic match-up if the two teams show up and plays in their usual fashion. I hate to say it.but look for the Seahawks to shut down this Redskins offense as well as the Redskins to shut down the Seahawks offense just as well. There WILL be a stupid pass thrown somewhere along the way that will set up the game winning score. The crowd wont see too many big plays and if they do, it wont result in too much too often. If anyone is in the betting mood, Ill set the line at Seattle +1.5 only because the Redskins will be playing at home but I would really like to put the line at even. Good luck to both of you and make the rest of us NFC players know we lost to you guys for a reason! Were sure you will!!

AFC Championship

by DK

#6 Miami Dolphins (13-5) (Ltown) @ #2 Cleveland Browns (14-3) (TDG8690)

This years AFC Championship game will be a rematch of last years two teams. The only difference is that both teams have different owners. Season I ended last year with the Browns embarrassing the Dolphins with a 35 7 blowout, and later the Browns would win the Super Bowl. But that was last year, and this is now.

Miami is coming off a huge upset in the AFC with a win over the Broncos in the second round. The game had expectations of a blowout at half time with the Dolphins putting up 28 points as opposed to the Broncos 7. That would change quickly as the Broncos would come out on fire in the second half but come up short, as the Dolphins would only need to score one more time and have Ricky sit on the ball in the final minutes of the game. Now they travel to Cleveland where they will face their toughest opponent of the season. Run Ricky, Run!, thats right, and thats exactly what he did last game, and thats exactly what he will try to do this game. The Dolphins proved that they can put up fluent numbers on offense, but its their defense that slipped a bit in the second half of the Broncos game, that has me a little worried...yeah right. After some fine tuning, the Dolphins should be in perfect playoff form and ready for any type of game the Browns throw at them. I just cant quite figure out whos going to step it up for this team again in this round. Is C. Chambers going to have a record breaking playoff game for himself again, or is somebody new going to step it up for this team this week? One thing you can count on for sureRicky will there! Run Ricky, Run!

The Browns are coming off a close hard fought battle with the Chargers in the second round of the playoffs. At half time the Browns trailed the Chargers by 4, but would hold their composure and come out on fire to start the 3^rd. The Browns pushed for the go ahead run with Green to give them a 10 7 lead. Then late in the 4^th, the Browns would appear to be in the red zone to seal the deal and send them on their way. Little did they know that they would throw an INT on the 1 yard line, and the Chargers would have a chance to win the game late. Unfortunately for the Chargers, the 1 yard line is a little to close for comfort, and the Browns would seal the deal with safety.Ouch!! Waiting for the Dolphins to arrive, W. Green is planning on showing one of the BEST defenses in the OML, why he is going to be a super star in years to come. Not too mention that he should have plenty of time to prove it, as the Browns defense appears to be the best in the AFC! If Couch cant get it done through the air, and Green and Johnson cant get it done on the ground and in the air, no worries as their Defense can win them any game they play in. Something tells me its going to have to!

Expect a defensive battle between both teams in the game. Not much scoring will go on as both Ds will be ready to shut down the O. The question is who will be the first to crack under pressure? It might take all game it might take half a quarter. Big plays might too have something to do with the outcome of this game. Both have their own unique qualities, and also have young superstars. Even thought the Dolphins are a wild card, and the Browns have only lost 3 games, Im going to call the spread on this one even, for the simple fact that both teams havent played each other this year. Good Luck to both teams and owners! Whatever the outcome, you both exceeded your expectations this season Im sure!

NFC Divisional Playoffs:

#5 Philadelphia Eagles (13-4) (Tacho) at #1 Washington Redskins (16-0) (Alma):

This Washington team has done it game in and game out this season. They have beaten every opponent they have come in contact with. They look to do something NO other team in NFL history has ever done. That is to go undefeated in a 16 game season and finish it off with a Super Bowl victory. Who knows what would have happened if the Dolphins would have had 2 more games, but it didnt happen so this is a chance to rewrite the record books here. As of late, the Redskins have been having a little bit of trouble with some of the teams they have met up with. One being the Cowboys and one being the Texans, both of who are out of the playoffs already. The only other team that has given them trouble is the visiting Philadelphia Eagles in this match-up. I cant believe this game isnt going to be broadcast live nationwide as its sure to be one hell of a great game!!

The Eagles coming off of a close victory in Tampa Bay come in to meet the undefeated Washington Redskins. The Eagles slipped by the tough Bucs in an ugly rain game that saw many turnovers for both sides occur. It wasnt exactly a display of brilliance by either team, but the gritty defense of both teams kept the others offense in check. They look to bring the defense yet again to put a stranglehold on the Skins offense. The Skins defense arent a bunch of louses either so look for them to come at the Eagles just as strong. This game should be a struggle on offense on both affairs. Key turnovers should play a main role on who gets that squeaker touchdown or that field goal set up that wins the game in the end. It will be incredibly hard for the Eagles to head into a fierce crowd at Washington and overcome the flying Skins. Look for this to be a struggle on both sides with the victor being decided late in the game..unless a break occurs early and they hold steady throughout. Either way, the game will be played to the end! Good luck guys!

#3 Green Bay Packers (11-6) (Abutron) at #2 Seattle Seahawks (11-5) (Realm)

Well, the Seahawks season has been a struggle a couple of times, but for the most part they were a strong, STRONG opponent. They finished the season with a big win over the Chargers who were the only team plummeting into the playoffs. And the Hawks werent afraid to help out with that cause. Just a couple of games before that, the pesky Falcons had given them a run for their money and beat them out to send doubt into Seattle fans all over. They proceeded to not only put points on the board in the next two games, but also managed to keep their opponents score down to 20 combined in the last two games vs. the Rams and Chargers. Theyve been itching to get a game played awaiting the first round games to be complete.

The Packers are coming off a huge win over the surging Cowboys in their first round meeting. Looks like the winter weather put out that fire the Cowboys had been burning in the last few weeks. The Packers had a tough stint, though and could be hurting from this last grudge fest. They played their hearts out until the final second where they scored the go ahead, and ultimately final score of the game.

This game features 2 great running backs and a couple of great quarterbacks. They both have solid defenses, but the offensive lines may be the key in this game: If Seattles line can withstand the oncoming onslaught to run effectively, and if the Packers line can give Favre enough time to find that break in coverage that shouldnt happen too often. It looks like this game also will be a defensive battle. Are the Packers up for yet another gritty football game? I think so, but so arent the Seahawks. This is another unbelievable match-up in the playoffs that could end with a key turnover. Good luck to both of you and let the divisional playoffs begin!!

AFC Playoffs Round 2

#6 Miami Dolphins (12-5) (Ltown) @ #1 Denver Broncos (12-4) (ESugar)

Denver ended the season as the #2 team in the AFC. They went 3-3 to start the season and had their team bye at week 7. With losses coming from the Bills, Dolphins, and division rival, Chargers. After the bye, they dropped a game to the Raiders, another division rival! Some had a question of is this team going to even make the playoffs? And yet most even probably forgot about them. But after their 17 point thrashing by the Raiders in week 8, they went on an unbeaten streak to end the season and finish 12 4 with none of their losses coming from the NFC! This would barely seal their division for them with the Chargers hot on their heels! This tells me one thing; the Broncos will have to play their best football of the season to get to OML Bowl II. They could possibly face 1 more team that handed them a loss this season. Supposing they do win both their games in the AFC, they will have all odds in their favor to win OML Bowl II, since of course they have yet to lose to the NFC, as I mentioned before! Good Luck!

The Dolphins didnt even have to pick up a controller in round 1, for the mighty Steelers have been lost, and unheard from. So now the Dolphins, who squeezed into the playoffs, get a first round bye along with the other 4 teams. Hopefully, the rest from not playing the game wont affect their team at all in this next round Its pretty hard to do a follow up write-up for round 2, when you didnt get to play your game. But let me tell you this, Ltown has been my #1 practice partner for the whole season. This Im 100% sure of, he will be ready for the rematch with the Broncos, we have both been helping each other out this post season during the byes! So Im sorry Ltown, if your disappointed with this part of the write-up, but win your next game and you wont beGood Luck & Run Ricky, Run!!!! Oh yeah, by the wayCan you say Cinderella???

These two Titans clashed in week 6 with the Dolphins getting a 21-14 victory. Now they face each other once again in playoffs. Yet again the Dolphins will have to travel to Mile High! I think for the most part, that even less points are going to be scored in this one. If the Dolphins can keep up with Smith and McCaffrey, and control the running game, they could easily walk away with a shutout. But on the other hand, if the Broncos stick to their game plan and control the clock and catch the Phins off guard when they least expect it, they could be facing a shutout of their own. Something tells me if the Broncos go up first and get the ball back, the Phins wont see much action after that. But for the most part, I think its going to be really close game with the victor being decided in the final minutes or even seconds. Cant wait to see the results to this instant OML Season II playoff classic! Good Luck!

#6 San Diego Chargers (12-4-1) (Jayman) @ #1 Cleveland Browns (13-3) (TDG8690)

The Cleveland Browns, whom have been rather quiet all season long, are the #1 team in the AFC boasting a 13-3 record. Their only losses came at the hands of the Jets, Steelers, and Jaguars. Three teams that are no longer, or werent in this years playoffs. Their most devastating loss came at the hands of the Steelers, who handed them a 42-13 spanking (How sweet it is to not have the Steelers in the playoffs anymore, and their most surprising of their 3 losses came from the Jags in week 14,). This would be their wake up call as they would finish the season strong. Finally the bye week is over and the Browns are ready to get back into action! The Browns are yet, another team that only had losses coming from the AFC. Looks like the AFC is winning the battle with the NFC, and the Browns are the for sure favorites in this Conference. But it wont be easy, they face a tough as nails defense in this next round. We don know one thing about this team, if they get beat, it will be by 11 or more points. But hopefully the Browns will be ready and wont let that happen! Good Luck!

The San Diego Chargers are the only team in the AFC that I get to write about their round 1 game. The Chargers proved that they belong in this years playoffs after a heartbreaking, huge upset over the Texans, with a 35-14 win. It appeared to be close game from what I can tell in the 1^st Qtr. with the score being 14 -7. But when you have one of the premiere running backs in the game (LT), there isnt much you can do to slow him down. Unfortunately, their wasnt anything that the Texans could do to slow him down, as LT carried the ball 21 times for 232 yards, and a mythical and godlike, 17 broken tackles. What can you do? Now the Chargers will try once again to ride LT through the next round. They will face the best team in the AFC, an evenly matched defense, a better offense, and the misfortune of having to travel to the Dog House. But this should be all the more motivation for them to advance to the Championship round. Hopefully if the Chargers dont get LT going, Brees and his receiving core came make the big plays and get the win for them. Their defensive play will most likely be the story of this game. Good Luck!

These two teams didnt meet once during the regular season. So who knows whats going to be in store for us in this round. Look for a defensive battle, as both teams are pretty much even. Despite the wholesale changes on the Browns offensive line, this is not the strength of the squad. They need to make quick decisions when throwing the ball. Green is not an explosive back and is more effective running up the gut as opposed to the outside. As for the Chargers, on paper this squad doesnt look bad. LT is a force running the ball, but also should be used on screen plays. Despite his age, Brees has the heart and balls to hang in the pocket and make great decisions, but cant afford to get too greedy. What a battle we are going to have in this round, the Chargers are coming fresh off a win and the Browns have been sitting for a while hopefully practicing. Cant wait to hear the outcome of this one should be another OML classic. Good Luck!

NFC Playoffs Round 1

#6 Dallas Cowboys (10-6) (Aguillory) at #3 Green Bay Packers (10-6) (Abutron)

Well all season long it seemed as if the Bears were going to have the division sealed while they were falling behind in games. The new owner of the Bears came out and had a great showing, but faltered against pesky division rivals Lions & Packers twice each to help secure the spot for the Packers. The Packers finished with a respectable record of 10-6. 5-6 losses that the Packers took didnt make the playoffs while the 6^th loss was to the #1 seed (and undefeated) in the league Redskins. On the other hand, most of their wins came from non-playoff teams with the only wins against playoff teams coming against the Buccaneers and Dolphins who both barely squeezed in. The Pack is coming off of a loss to the Jets and are looking to redeem themselves in this first round match up. Luckily they have the advantage of hosting the game at the Frozen Tundra.

The Cowboys had the privilege (or misfortune, whichever way you want to look at it) of coming out of arguably the toughest division in the OML this year. 5 of their 6 losses all came within their own division of teams that finished .500 or better. The other loss was against the NFC #2 seed Seahawks. Does this team have a chance? Hell yes! This team loves to play tight games no matter which their opponent is. They are suffering a 2 game losing streak to 2 incredibly strong playoff contenders in the Eagles and Redskins, both by 7 points or less. They may not look pretty out on the field..but pretty doesnt win football fellas. They will have the pleasure of playing in a freezing climate in this first round game.

These teams will meet for the first time this season and will have no on field experience to use as strategy in this one. Both teams are going to have to be extra careful on offense. The team that holds on to the ball will be the team that prevails in my opinion. Both defenses are stingy and dont let much squeak by. A solid run game on both sides is the key to victory. On the other hand, both teams can do well in the air if there isnt enough pressure on the QBs. One with the scrambling ability and the other with the dead on precision passing (Im sure you all know which is which). It seems both of these teams know how to run their defense and Im sure will have tricks up their sleeves to foil any plots the other offense may bring to the table. Gritty gritty gritty!! This is why we play football boyz!!! Good luck to both!!

#5 Philadelphia Eagles (Tacho) (12-4) at #4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8) (Hebass)

The Buccaneers started out the season on a tear.errr in a downward spiral with a lovely 2-5 record. People thought, could this possibly be? Yes, the Bucs were scoring multiple points on offense with no problem, but not producing anything from their defense. They looked like schoolgirls out on the field for the first half of the season. They started to stiffen up on their way to a 6-3 run to finish at 8-8 and barely edge out the Saints to sneak into the playoffs. In their last 7 games, they finished 5-2 with 2 losses, both incredibly tight games by 7 to playoff teams the Packers and Steelers. The Bucs get to host this first round game, but the odds arent there that they can overcome this tough Eagles squad.

The Eagles finish the season with a remarkable record of 12-4, good enough to win any normal division.but not with the 16-0 Redskins leading all season long. 2 of their losses fell to these Redskins (wow, they pop up in almost everybodys write-up heh), with another falling to the Seahawks who had a great season of their own. The 4^th loss is controversial coming against the OLD (and I stress OLD) Giants owner who seemed to have some type of enhancements. All of the other wins were against some good teams, some struggling teams and 4 playoff teams. The first of the 4 is the Texans who won their division in the AFC at 7-9. They have beaten the stingy #6 Cowboys twice and beaten another playoff team along the way named the Bucswhich leads me to the next paragraph

The Eagles hosted the troubled Bucs back in week 7 for a classic.more like ugly match. The Eagles handed the Bucs their own jocks on several platters throughout the game. They ran, passed, even walked all over the Bucs defense. This almost forced the Bucs owner to give up on OML due to inability to keep up with the better players..The Eagles coach had some strong words of encouragement after this one to keep the Bucs around for awhile longer. Critics say the Bucs would much rather forget this game, but that isnt the case as they will use this to drive them to HAVE to win this game, though they know they will have to work extra hard to get it done. The Eagles have a good game at their hands and they cant afford to be too cocky this time around. The Bucs have grown to be worthy opponents of most teams they face while the Eagles continue their dominance into the playoffs. This game could lead up to be a classic rather than a painstakingly gruesome game for fans to watch like last time. Look for both teams to adjust their strategies from the way they played much earlier in the season. Good luck to both!!

AFC Playoffs Round 1

#6 Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) (Kidante) @ #3 Miami Dolphins (11-5) (Ltown)

Miami started the season strong going 6-1. They lost their first game, which happened to be a divisional meeting against the Jets, who had yet to lose a game. Coming off the bye, the Dolphins would go 5-4, but manage to win the rest of their games in their division. Ending the season 11-5, the Dolphins would wait patiently for the Jets to determine their seasons. The drama ended as the Jets fell to the Patriots by a small margin. Barely squeezing in and winning the division, the Dolphins wont have an easy path through the playoffs. My prediction is that the Dolphins will play No Retreat, No Surrender football. Run Ricky, Run!!!!

The Steelers started out the season slow with a different owner then they have now. Kidante received the 1-4 Steelers week 7, where he started a streak, an unbeaten one at that. The Steelers managed to win out the rest of their games, but fall short of the division title to the Browns. With a 12-4 record, and none of the losss his, the Steelers look for a path to the OML Super Bowl II, and certainly have all odds in their favor. If Kordell and the Steelers can get things going on both sides of the ball, this one could be over quickly. But something tells me its not

#5 San Diego Chargers (11-4-1) (Jayman) @ #4 Houstan Texans (7-9) (SlimBig)

The expansion Texans make there first appearance in the NFL and make it a good one at that. They managed to win their division and make yet another first appearance with a 7-9 record in the playoffs. The Texans will now have to prove that they belong here. Dont worry though. Slims been around for a while and he doesnt have the SlimBig Playoffs named after him for nothing. He knows how to work his defenseits his offense that needs to come through and catch some balls and open up some holes. If the Texans can contain LT and the offense can catch and hang on to the ball the ball, the Chargers could be looking at an early exit.

The Chargers are a prime example of how every single game a team plays in the NFL has significant meaning. They would manage a nice record of 11-2-1 at the Week 15 mark, with losss coming at the hands of the Broncos and Raiders, and a tie with the Jets. With the loss to the Broncos, the Chargers would need to win 1 of their last 2 games. In their first game they would lose to the Chiefs by 7. The last game would be a tough one against the Seahawks. A win by either team, meant that team had the divisional title and the first round bye! The Chargers would fall to the Seahawks and find themselves squeaking into the final playoff spot. Oh my how the tie with the Jets was huge. My prediction is that the Chargers will wisely start the game on the ground with LT. If Brees is finding his receivers, and theyre catching the ball, this could be a shootout.