The Semis
Week 16 brings us the final four teams fighting for their chance at the LOC title in semifinal action.
The matchups should be closely fought, and the winners will have to earn it.
Saturday yields important scoring opportunities in both matchups, with big games between the Chiefs/Texans and Ravens/Steelers. That action will begin to unravel the mystery of who is likely to move on to LOC Bowl XIX, but the final calls may not be made until Monday night.
Let's dive into the semifinal matchups...already in progress. Please note that the predictions made are prior to any weekend scoring.
Addicts vs. Marauders
Summary
The #1 seed against the scoring champs in an intriguing battle for a ticket to the title game.
History
All-Time: 15-11, Addicts
Last Mtg: 128-102.5 / Marauders (Wk 6)
As it Stands
Only two players have posted points since the week started, with the Marauders' Lamar putting up 19 and the Chargers D managing only 1 point.
Entering Sunday, the Addicts' Josh Allen is going to be key to this matchup. Patriots can be stingy but expect 20+ from Allen. The question is in the +. Achane and Conner should have 15-20 touches apiece, setting the Addicts up for a positional win. Across the aisle, Jacobs and Brown draw decent but not great matchups, so that RB slate should be close. The Flex battle will be telling, dependent on if MIM's Cook can get touches inside the 10 or if GK's Pollard can bounce back from an ankle injury (14.5 last matchup vs. Indy).
The Marauders should have a slight edge in the receiving duel, though benching Tyreek carries its own risk. Can DJ Moore deliver another good day against the Lions (17.5 in Wk. 13)? Jeudy (Addicts) has been red hot lately, and if DK can break out of his slump, this positional battle could also swing. The TE matchup is likely to be a wash, though Kittle is pretty unpredictable. Colts D are good for 6-8 on the Addicts side.
It feels like this one will come down to Josh Jacobs attempting to mount a Marauders comeback on Monday, with McManus kicking to ensure the margin holds.
Predictions
ESPN: Marauders by 7
Experts: Addicts by 2
LM: Addicts by 10
Wolves vs. Dominators
Summary
This division champs matchup gives us the WS winners against the top team from the Rest.
History
All-Time: 12-10, Wolves
Last Mtg: 122-92.5 / Dominators (Wk 11)
As it Stands
This one is a little further along, with the Wolves having run 5 of their 10 starters to this point. Derrick Henry was rock solid on Saturday with 21.5 points. Butker and the Chiefs D combined for a reasonable 17. Watt (2) disappointed, but Andrews was serviceable with 9.5 points. On the Dominators side, Zay reached 100 yards receiving (14.5) and Tucker booted in 11.
Dolla brings their top-3 rushing duo of Gibbs/Bijan to the party, and they'll need to combine for 35 or more. Certainly doable. Sneaky good receiving group with JSN and Brian Thomas expected to both go for double digits. The Niners D has been hit or miss but get an ailing Fins team that should raise their floor. Brock Bowers is due for a big game. Jordyn Brooks should be a good 6-8 points in the DP spot. Can Jordan Love be the good version of himself?
The Wolves know where their bread is buttered, and that Bengals trio must carry them to the title game. A reasonable projection for the Burrow/Chase/Higgins likely comes in at or below the 48 they are slotted for, if only because the Browns may fall behind early. If it's a close division game, the ceiling goes up tremendously. That alone would drive a Wolves win. In the more reasonable scenario, Rachaad White will need to find 10-15 and Drake London will have to find fast chemistry with Penix (making his first start for the Falcons).
This outcome will be on the shoulders of Jordan Love on Monday night, setting the stage for a dramatic finish to send someone to the title game.
Predictions
ESPN: Dominators by 4
Experts: Dominators by 7
LM: Wolves by 5
Two to Go
Week 15 / Round 1 is complete. Congrats to the Dominators and Marauders on advancing to the Semis. They'll square off against the Wolves and Addicts, respectively. Plenty of big team scores across the spectrum this week (only some of which counted) as half the league cleared 120.
We're down to 4 teams with 2 games to play. More on the semifinals in the days ahead. Here are the takeaways from Week 15 action.
Quarterfinals
For the Losers and Remix, it's off to the back-to-back 5th place matchup. Neither game was close, so perhaps actual drama awaits us in Round 2. While no trophies are awarded this week, there were still standout (good and bad) playoff moments to be noted.
Both the Marauders and Dominators cleared 130 in their wins. Lamar Jackson led the two matchups with 35 points. Amon-Ra was right behind him at 33. The best flex call of the bracket was Brian Thomas for Dolla. He posted 25.5 to lead their winning effort. Gibbs went over 20 and the defensive call proved correct again (Texans - 19).
On the flip side, the Losers got a worst-possible -14 from the Lions D. A risky start already, they managed to give up max yards/points while recording no sacks/ints. The fall-off from just a few weeks ago for Ledford and Co. has been tough to see, as they failed to clear 70 points.
The Remix got pretty balanced scoring, with McLaurin's 18.5 leading the team. Conversely, the Caleb QB call did not work out on Monday. To be fair, the Marauders won despite a -5 from the Chargers D. Also a pretty poor start.
Consolation
The Crew did lead all scoring this week (nearly reaching 150) and got a week's best 39 from Davante Adams. The Football Team and Threat also balled out in their matchups.
For those in the consolation bracket, a win basically ensures that you won't finish last (unless you were already an 11 or 12 seed, in which case you'll still need another team to go 0-2 in Wks. 15 and 16). The non-playoff bracket is a convoluted thing to be sure. From here, we at least know that the Crew and the Football Team are spared the indignity of magnet photo requests.
[LM Note]
As we move into and through the postseason, I'll be updating the Record Book and individual team pages to reflect the '24 campaign. Playoff qualification achievements have been added for the 6 teams in this year's tourney. Points title has been awarded. The LOC MVP will be awarded following Wk. 17 (highest scoring player). Each team's career numbers and season MVP will be added at season's end as well. Speaking of points, the historical scoring averages have been updated. Here's what it looks like now:
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Historic
Highlight
Highlight
Week 15, 2006: Setting a single-game record that would last 7 seasons, Cliff's Crushers reached 172 points on this date back in '06. Vick threw for 4 TDs and LaDainian Tomlinson rushed for 199 yards and 2 TDs (setting his own record) to help boost the Crushers past the Redux in the consolation bracket. Tap in for LDT highlights via vintage SportsCenter coverage.
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