Greetings fellow WLOF’ers and welcome to our midseason playoff picture.  No guest here to host this one, just a quick recap of where our teams stand with 5 weeks left before the playoffs!  To the review!:

 

Teams you can mark down as Playoff teams:

 

Mathmatically, no team has locked up a spot in the playoffs or their division.  No team is yet mathematically eliminated.  But reality and mathematically are two separate things.  We deal in reality here.  8 – 5 is a lock for the playoffs.  6 -7 is elimination.  With all division leaders at 6 and 2, no division winners will be 6 – 7, and no wild card team will either.  So who is a lock to make the playoffs?

 

San Francisco:  Brock holds the keys to a juggernaut.  Yes, the Mules have dropped 2 in a row…to division leaders.  One was the freak Kirk Cousins show, the other was the Eli Manning show.  You need to put up 60 to beat this team.  San Francisco is loaded with Brady and Gronk giving you the best player at QB and TE.  By far.  Solid starters at every position, and even backups like Dalton (top 5 QB), Woodhead, and Cooks or James Jones makes this team nearly injury proof.  Gronk of course is the exception to this.  Mark this team down as a 1 or 2 seed and a lock.  PLAYOFF CHANCE: 97%

 

Dublin:  Tedd has had quite the impact on the league in his first season.  The only first round QB that made any sense has anchored this team.  All his starters have 30 or more points to date.  The only real weakness is a shallow bench should anyone be out for the playoffs.  Rodgers, Murray, Cobb, Landry, and Olsen are a nice grouping and if Giovani Bernard continues to hold a significant role for the Bengals this team is solid.  Top 1 or 2 seed and a lock.     PLAYOFF CHANCE: 93%

 

Taliban:   So I am talking to Mike Norris at our Halloween party.  He is lamenting about Brady and Gronk going off for 4 and 2 TD’s respectively and how he is not going to overcome that deficit and how he is sick of Eli Manning.  This turns into a discussion of how much I despise Andrew Luck and, before you know it, Eil is gone!  But not before dropping 6 TD’s and dropping a “L” on the Mules.  Mike, you sure you want to let Eli go?  Well, if Luck continues to get healthier and moves towards the guy he was last year, this team is gold.  With that win and a 2 game cushion, the Taliban is looking quite formidable.  Luck, Yeldon, Chris Johnson, the best WR combo this year in Julio and Hopkins, and a Vikings fan insistence on the Vikings Defense being a top 5 Defense (so far he is right) and this team is a lock to make the playoffs, and a probable 3 seed.    PLAYOFF CHANCE: 90%

 

 

Pencil in these teams:

 

 

 Wellington:  Tarl has his 2nd year club at 6 and 2 and leading the Pacific Rim by 2 games with 5 to play.  Why is he not a lock?  Two reasons.  No Jamaal Charles, and no stable QB.  Stafford, for the 2nd year in a row, is just not consistent.  No protection and no running game are killing him.  Tarl just needs to win 2 games to be a playoff team, and probably 3 games to win the Pac Rim.  I think this happens, but it is not a lock.  There are chinks in the armor.  Obviously Charles was a devastating blow.  Ingram is a stud, and really the only one left for Wellington.  #2RB is a question mark each week, Rishard Matthews has been good, but Colston, Torrey Smith, Kearse, and Adams have not been very reliable.  Ebron has cooled off and Ertz has not caught a TD pass.  And the Dolphin Defense is flaky at best.  I think they get the 4 seed, but let’s just pencil them in for now.   PLAYOFF CHANCE: 78%

 

St. Mihiel:  How in the hell has Doug pulled this off?  Owner of the year to this point and it is not even close.  This does go to show you that just because you have a devastating injury all is not lost.  But there is lots of work to be done.  Doug must win 2 of the last 5 to get into the playoffs.  If he can win 4, we can even talk a division championship and a 4 seed.   But let’s leave that out there as the Tough Ombres are down a game and a head to head matchup against an Aaron Rodgers led team.  Of course, they boast the 2nd best QB in the league in Phillip Rivers.  This season really begins and ends with Rivers for St. Mihiel.  Of course, now with all the health issues and suspensions done, you actually have a respectable lineup of Rivers, McCoy, Martavis Byrant, Marvin Jones, and Antonio Gates.  Still no #2 RB and options of Terrance Williams, Allen Hurns, or even a recently traded Vernon Davis are a weak point, but this team has simply overcome all year.  Barring a collapse, they should be in as the 5 or 6 seed.  PLAYOFF CHANCE: 62%

 

Pyongyang:  Gads.  My wife might make the playoffs two years in a row, and I won’t.  That will be a topic of discussion for a while.  There is a whole bevy of 4 -4 teams out there, and at least 3 of that group (and the 3 – 5 teams as well) have to make the playoffs.  Who gets in?  This is the strongest candidate due to schedule and strength.  Brees, Freeman, Edelman, and Antonio Brown is a lot of firepower.  Many are the question marks however.  Is Julius Thomas going to show up soon?  Is Shane Vereen the answer at RB #2?  Has Alfred Morris become unusable?  Is there anyone on the bench that is worth even putting in a game?  Amy is a stalwart believer in not making many (if any) pickups during the season and that philosophy will be tested.  Brees consistency will dictate this teams outlook.  Mark them as a 6 to 8 seed with the best outside shot of catching Wellington due to in conference record.   PLAYOFF CHANCE: 58%

 

Ouagadougou:  Jason Bowen has done a lot with a little with this team.  They could easily be 6 - 2, or just as easily 2 – 6.  Built on the WR position, Demaryius Thomas has suffered thanks to Peyton Manning, and Calvin Johnson has suffered thanks to Stafford.  But both are still on pace for 1200 yard seasons.  Just not a lot of TD’s.  With Ryan Tannehill still not living up to expectations other than a game here or there, and Andre Ellington pulling a Houdini disappearing act, you would think this team was sunk.  Think again.  Doug Martin may be the find of the year and is ripping it up.  Jay Cutler, for all his crunch time suckage, is having a good statistical year (but Tannehill is still better), and Nate Washington as a #3 WR is intriguing.  This squad would be a pick to be your 6 to 8 seed.   PLAYOFF CHANCE: 52%

 

 

So Your Sayin’ There’s a chance….:

 

Hey, someone needs to fill that 8th seed.  And any one of the 4 teams above could go 1 and 4 and collapse their way right out of the playoffs.  Even 2 and 3 might not be good enough to get in.  These are the teams who might pounce on those openings…

 

Kadena:  Mr. Bill has had what seems for him a typical World League of Football season.  That is to say, very mediocre.  But there is an  upside for this squad.  Hey, you got Adrian Peterson, you got a chance.  Jonathan Stewart is possibly the best #2 RB going at this point (now that Ingram is a de facto #1 RB), and Hilton, Sanders, and Bennett are three good receiving options.  But the inconsistencies at WR for Hilton and Sanders (due to their QB’s) is maddening.  Going with Winston instead of season killer Sam Bradford more often will also help.  Solid couple of Defenses as well.  But how can you respect a man with a Kicker named Coons?  He hasn’t kicked anything over 50 yards yet.  Also, a bench of Baldwin, Benjamin, and Heath Miller is hardly inspiring, and why is Tre Mason on your bench?  Or Mark Sanchez?  Wasted spots.  A good schedule will help the Typhoons down the stretch.    PLAYOFF CHANCE: 44%

 

Chel’yabinsk:  Who may be the hottest team in the WLOF?  I really hate to say this, but it is probably the Isotopes.  This team would be a lock at 5 – 3.  But they are 3 – 5.  Normally, that is signora sucker.  But this team is getting the nod over some other 4 – 4 teams due to a now healthy starting lineup and some serious late season firepower.  Now, there is no room for error.  4 and 1 from here on out is a must.  That is the reason behind the Russell Wilson for Marcus Mariota trade.  Bye weeks people, pay attention early and you don’t have to deal with this late.  Jason has no margin to punt a week so every game counts down the stretch.  If he does guide the Isotopes into the playoffs, this is a dangerous squad, possible top 3 in the WLOF right now.   Gurley has become a monster.  Beckham, after a slow start, is in full swing.  Travis Kelce is on pace for 1000 yards, and Tyler Eifert has 6 TD’s and will get close to 800 yards.  Given the rest of the receiving corps a 2 TE lineup may make sense.  And Carson Palmer is a top 5 QB.  Too bad it took half the season to figure that out.  Throw in the Charcandrick West pickup and this is a loaded group.  Too bad the choice of Eagles or Titans on Defense is not better.  Surviving this week’s bye issues (no Palmer, Kelce, or West) will be the test.    PLAYOFF CHANCE: 42%

 

Orinoco:  This would be a playoff team if Ben Roethlisburger did not get injured.  Simple as that.  That and Eddie Lacy just being poop.  Oh, and Lamar Miller.  And Jordan Cameron.  Keenan Allen was carrying this team, but he spleened out for the rest of the season.  And just when Roethlisberger gets back.  Can’t win for losing.  But Maclin is still here, Willie Snead may be able to somewhat fill the Keenan Allen role, Lacy has shown signs of improvement (mostly due to Starks being gimpy now) and Donte Moncrief does have 5 TD’s and a projected 800 yard season.  There is hope that a good finish can still get the River Leeches into the playoffs, they just need to go at least 3 and 2 from here on in.  And with a healthy Roethlisburger, any week can be a winner for Lindsay.  Keep hope alive!   PLAYOFF CHANCE: 36%

 

Kawishiwi:  Here is another team that sure looked like they were destined for the playoffs.  They get Le’Veon Bell back in week 3 and take off, only to lose him for good.  That is a B-I-G injury.  There really is no stud left to carry this team.  But hey, there is some upside here for the playoffs.  Being 4 – 4 means, like Orinoco, 3 and 2 on in probably gets you in.  So just win every other game!  You do have Matt Ryan (slipping lately) but Derek Carr is on the roster…with better numbers…playing like a top 10 QB…just sayin’.  And Dion Lewis and Ronnie Hillman are both having nice years and are decent RB #2 options and startable.  While the receivers are the weak link for this squad, Ted Ginn has been playing pretty good as of late (if you don’t count dropping a game winning 65 yard TD pass in OT.  Dumbass.) and DeSean Jackson may be close to getting back into the lineup.  Mike Wallace and Kendall Wright are somewhat playable as well.  Jimmy Graham has not even been close to reaching his draft position, but he is still a top 5 TE who projects for 850 – 900 yards and 4 or 5 TD’s.  And he is getting a better feel for Wilson.  But only the Falcon’s Defense?  Yeesh.  This can still happen for Dave.   PLAYOFF CHANCE: 31%

 

Sudan:  The Ommen.  Last year’s champion. This year, the WLOF Football Deities have not been as good to Jon.  Losing Dez Bryant for the majority of the season (he has 60 yards from scrimmage total) was tough, especially when it happens post draft and you can’t easily address it.  Throw in Roddy White being useless and your receiver corps is pretty much wiped out.  Still, Sudan has worked its way to 4 – 4, and like the Orinoco and Kawishiwi, it has a punchers chance of going 3 and 2 and getting into the Playoffs.  But they face a much tougher division schedule down the stretch.  Cam Newton has played well for Sudan, but the lack of star power has hurt them.  Forsett has had a couple of nice games, but is inconsistent.  Same with Hyde.  Malcom Floyd has been good lately, and you can hope Dez improves when Romo returns.  Same goes for Witten.  Only having the Giants Defense is a week to week crapshoot.  Too many ifs for Jon here.  But hope springs eternal.   PLAYOFF CHANCE: 27%

 

Nairobi:  For a preseason darling, Blake has not had the best of luck with Illinois and Indiana based franchises.  His Bears haven’t been half bad, Forte has been solid, but Jeffery’s injuries have been problematic.  However, his Colts have been death.   Andre Johnson and Dwayne Allen have been useless.  But it is squarely on Peyton Manning.  Manning has 50.90 points to date, and backup Alex Smith has 85.83.  Yes, Alex Smith has been (Fantasy wise) 44% better.  Larry Fitzgerald was big early in the season, but is tapering off.  Jordan Reed is around, but there just is not enough fire power to go 4 and 1.  Being 3 – 5 requires no margin for error, and there is just too much error here.  Blake, I don’t know if you are a Cub fan, but “Wait till’ next year!” does apply.   PLAYOFF CHANCE: 13%

 

Germany:  Tim and the Fan Club haven’t had the injuries some people have had to endure, but drafting C.J. Anderson in the first round (everyone was doing it) and getting nothing for it is like an injury.  That takes up a starting spot.  Yes, Amari Cooper has been great.  Yes, Gary Barnidge is a great pickup.  Even Joe Flacco has had his moments.  But we are at 3 – 5 here for the Good Beer, and again, the no margin for error police do not see a run of 4 out of 5.  Melvin Gordon is no longer usable, Tavon Austin, while hitting occasionally on a given week is not dependable, and there just is no rock to lean on here from week to week to sustain a playoff push.  It will take a group of players getting hot together to let Tim make the playoffs for a second straight season.     PLAYOFF CHANCE: 11%

 

 

 

Stick a Fork In Them.  They’re Done:

 

I’m calling these two teams out.  1 win won’t get you to the promise land.  Time to get you team geared up for a dramatic Toilet Bowl run.

 

Hokkaido:  Mike Hinson, if you are reading this, we need to get together this month at Buffalo Wild Wings and talk football, outside of our teams of course.  They suck.  Mike has suffered the Roaming Homo (or Romo as he is known) and that has really ended his season before it began.  Of course, McCown has been a reasonable backup, so other factors must be at work.  These factors include first round pick Marshawn Lynch being a bottom 15 back, Golden Tate and Mike Evans being bottom 40 receivers, and having your highest non QB starter have 31.95 points (Ryan Matthews).  Throw in the Steelers Defense and this was never a recipe for success.    PLAYOFF CHANCE: 0.012875%

 

 

Springfield:  Yeah, well, maybe next year.  Micah now has a nice retooled lineup featuring Eli Manning, Josh Hill, DeAngelo Williams, A. J. Green, Pierre Garcon, Austin Sefarian-Jenkins, and the best Kicker and Defense (for what that is worth) in the league.  Too bad it is all Toilet Bowl Prep.  But hey, you have to admit that Springfield is a tough draw for Toilet Bowl seeding…     PLAYOFF CHANCE: 0%

 

So that’s it.  We are in the playoff push and only 5 weeks remain until the playoffs.  Good luck to the 14 teams with a hearbeat.

 

Micah

 

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