ISFL NEWLETTER 

The Internet Simulation Football League Newsletter

Volume #22 Issue #19 – January 8, 2019

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Current League Officers

Commissioner: Mark McNeil (blades99@rochester.rr.com)

League Statistician: Mark McNeil (blades99@rochester.rr.com)
ISFL WWW site: http://www.blades99.com/ISFL/ISFL.htm

ISFL Review Board:  Hank Sienzant, Don Antonelli, Ed Minshull

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LEAGUE NOTES

I.   Message from the Commissioner

II.  News from Around the League

III. Standings

IV.  Wild Card Results

V.   Schedule

VI.  Transactions

VII. Other News including Players of the Week

I. MESSAGE FROM THE COMMISSIONER

Round 1 is in the books and just one minor upset as the 5^th seeded Steelers shutout the 4^th seeded Jets and move on to a matchup with the New England Patriots.  Houston gets by Denver on a last second TD and will head to Dallas in round 2.  In the NFC everything holds to form as St. Louis downs Philadelphia to earn a trip to Carolina and New Orleans shuts down Jacksonville to set up a match up with the NY Giants.

Well so far a good offseason as I have already filled the 4 teams that were league owned for most or all of this past season.  Hopefully we will stay full up through the offseason but at least for now we have 28 owners and we are ready to move to the offseason when the playoffs are finished. Here are the new owners and their contact info:

Cleveland Browns – Mike Harvath - bceconguy@yahoo.com
Detroit Lions – Conner McNeil - conner.mcneil03@gmail.com
NY Jets – Pat Crew - apccommish@yahoo.com
St. Louis Rams – JT Toth – simsports24@gmail.com

I will be nominating players/coaches/GMs for awards this year and we will just make it a one round of voting as I would like to bring this back and make it easier on you guys, look for this to be coming very soon (ie this weekend). Also planning on getting working on the lottery and draft order so we can run the lottery just before the Super Bowl at the end of the month.   

I will be taking any rules changes you think we should discuss over the next couple of weeks. Please, well thought out ideas only, I don’t want a long discussion that just goes nowhere over the list, so please, if you have a good idea, flesh it out and then feel free to share it either with me or to the list in general if you want opinions.  I will take these until Sunday, January 20^th after which I will put together a ballot for everyone to vote on.

I am still looking for potential owners right now if you know anyone who is interested in the league as I would like to have someone waiting in the wings should a team or two open up during the offseason. 

Game files can be found on the main page for the playoffs.  Please make sure you get started on game contacts asap, home teams should make contact by Wednesday and the game should be set up no later than Thursday of each week.

I can’t stress enough that you need to IMMEDIATELY send me your game export when the game is complete.  Send your write up later on, that’s fine, but I MUST have the game export as soon as the game ends or I’ll have to sim the game to keep things moving along if it is missing at the deadline.

***There is a new game update available on the website, dated 10/16/18 *** 

Don’t forget, if you lose a player for 2 or more games, you can ask for an injury replacement, but it must be done the same week as the injury, so don’t wait, get those requests in right away and take advantage, especially the teams who are already challenged for the amount of games they have to work with.  Also, be sure you give me enough names as the more injuries the more likely someone else already grabbed the guy you want. 

Reminder that you MUST send a boxscore and writeup to the league after each game.  The home team is responsible for this, but either team can do it, as long as it does get done.  Also, you MUST send me the game export immediately after the game is complete.  It takes about 30 seconds, so I shouldn’t have to chase you down for that file after a game, just get it in right away so I don’t have to guess whether a game has happened or not.

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II. News from Around the League 

Steelers – 19 at NY Jets - 0

Steelers put together just enough offense and Brady basically has no one to throw too and it costs the Jets the game as they just aren't able to do anything in this contest with under 150 yards of total offense.  Steelers score once in each quarter of the game, a FG in the first, a TD run from Watson in the second, a TD pass from Watson to Agholor in the third and then a safety from Sheard on Brady in the 4th for the final score.  13 total punts in the game, 3 turnovers, a turnover on downs, a pretty ugly game overall but it gives the Steelers a chance to move to the second round of the playoffs as we wait to see who we get to visit this time around.

Broncos – 31 at Texans – 34

TEXANS EDGE BRONCOS ON FINAL PLAY

Houston, January 7th, 2019: Kirk Cousins scrambled in from the Denver 10 yard line to score the winning touchdown as the clock hit double zeroes and send the Broncos home for the rest of the playoffs. 

The Texans final drive started with 3:31 left and took 13 plays, 82 yards and every second left on the clock. 

The Broncos trailed 27-17 with 12:48 left in the game and had already lost Carson Wentz to injury. 

Hey, no problem. Wentz' backup, Mike Glennon, camp in and threw two touchdown passes to rally the Broncos into the lead at 31-27 with just 5:38 left in the contest. 

The first touchdown was set up when Glennon hit Ezekiel Elliott on a checkdown on third and four, and Elliott took off for a 37-yard gain to the Texan 26. Five straight runs by Elliott and a penalty on the last run gave the Broncos a first down at the Texans four, and Glennon hit Golden Tate on a short out pass at the pylon for the touchdown to cut the Texans lead to 27-24. 

On third and five, the Kirk Cousins pass intended for Ingram was jumped by Malcolm Jenkins and returned to the Texans 13. It took only one play for Glennon to hit Devante Parker in the end zone for the score, and the first lead of the game for Denver since they went ahead on their opening possession, 3-0. 

The Texans came back to score two touchdowns to open their biggest lead of the game at 14-3. Cousins hit A.J.Green from 12 yards out to end the first drive of 75 yards in eight plays, and came back in the second quarter to hit Jamison Crowder from 34 yards out to open that big lead. But the Broncos, despite a penalty on the next kickoff that put the Broncos back at their own nine, drove the length of the field to cut the lead to 14-10 on a six minute drive,, with Wentz hitting Parker for the first of two scores by Parker on the day. 

A field goal by Murray on the final play of the first half made it 17-10 in favor of the Texans. The field goal was set up when Wentz fumbled on a scramble and the loose ball was recovered by Richard Sherman at the Denver 42 with 44 seconds remaining in the first half. 

But Wentz rallied the troups and the Broncos drove 75 yards to tie the game at 17 on the opening possession of the second half, taking more than half the third quarter to move 75 yards in 13 plays, with Wentz himself taking it over on a quarterback sneak after Elliott's touchdown run on the previous play was overturned on review and placed down just a foot from the goal line. 

But his heroics looked to be for naught as the Texans went back ahead on a Murray 39 field goal at 20-17, and then Wentz was hit as he threw a 14-yard completion to Golden Tate on the Broncos next possession and left the game with an injured knee. 

Under Glennon, the Broncos got close enough to try a 54-yard field goal by Harrison Butker, but Butker's kick was short and returned to the Texans 34. Cousins hit A.J.Green on a medium slant and Green took the pass to paydirt, opening the Texans lead to 27-17 with just 12:43 left in the game and seemingly driving the nail into the Broncos coffin.

But they didn't count on Mike Glennon to rally the Broncos back into the lead with just 5:38 left. 

But after three-and-outs by both clubs, the Texans had just enough time to finish the game and the Broncos off in style.

GAME NOTES: Kirk Cousins threw three touchdown passes, ran for another but also threw two interceptions. He completed 24 of 37 for 308 yards and a 95.3 rating. Wentz completed 14 of 24 for 184 yards and one touchdown, threw a pick and lost a fumble, for a passer rating of 79.2. Both teams had two turnovers in the context. Mike Glennon's stat line was sparse, with 5 of 8 for 66 yards in relief of Wentz. And he also threw two touchdown passes in those eight attempts for a 128.1 rating. 

Mark Ingram rushed for 71 yards on 13 attempts (5.5) and Jamison Crowder added 36 on an end-around. Zeke Elliott banged and ran for 105 yards on 28 carries to keep the Houston defense honest. The Texans averaged a stellar 6.8 per carry as they repeatedly gashed the Broncos defenses for gains, while the Broncos could muster only a 3.7 average on the ground. 

A.J.Green caught eight passes for 145 yards and two touchdowns, while Golden Tate lead the Broncos with six receptions for 78 yards and one score. 

Cornerbacks Richard Sherman of the Texans and Kareem Jackson of the Broncos both led their teams in tackles with eight, while Jackson added a pass defense and a pick. 

NEXT MAN UP: Richard Sherman went down early in the fourth quarter, and Carson Wentz went down in late in the third. Sherman will be a game-time decision next week, while Wentz has the entire off-season to heal. 

A LOOK AHEAD: The Texans advance to the Divisional Round while the Broncos go home and contemplate what might have been. They will draft 17th, 18th, or 19th, depending on the outcome of the other playoff games. Denver owns all their own picks plus the fourth of San Francisco. That pick was acquired in a draft day trade for Denver's fifth last year (used to select guard Jesse Davis).  

Jaguars – 3 at Saints - 31

Jacksonville comes into the game with most of their skill players fatigued.  Their offense starts out slow going 3 and out their first 3 drives.  The Saints can't do much better having to punt their first 2 drives.  The Saints get on the board first with a 35 yard Tucker FG toward the end of the 1st quarter.  The Jaguars answer with a 11 play drive getting inside the 10 but have to settle for a FG to tie it at 3's.   Russell Wilson leads the Saints to another FG and that is all the scoring in the first half.  6-3 Saints.  

The Saints get the ball to begin the 2nd half and game MVP Russell Wilson starts getting hot.  The big play was a short slant to Crabtree who breaks a tackle and rumbles 41 yards.  Melvin Gordon runs it in for the games first TD.   New Orleans defense holds Jacksonville and the Saints get another TD.  This time from Wilson to Adams for a 20-3 lead.  A come back victory on the road wasn't in the cards as NO gets another FG and a pick six for the 30-3 final.  

Jacksonville now plans for the draft while the Saints head to Carolina for their 3rd meeting of the season.

Eagles – 13 at Rams – 20

Rams CB Jimmy Smith is Game MVP with the key play of this playoff contest - a 27 yard interception for a TD off of the Eagles Prescott with 9:01 remaining in the 4th QTR.

Smith also contributed 5 tackles, 3 passes defensed, and a forced fumble. Not bad for a nickel CB, who was forced to start because Tre'Davious White pulled a hamstring in pre-game warmups. White wanted in the action so bad, that he limped his way to a tackle and an INT himself.

Prescott finished with 1 TD, 3 INT, completing 16 out of 28 for 193 yards and a 50.7 rating. Rams' Stafford was not much better, 17 out of 32 for 146 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT.

At halftime, score was 6-3 in favor of the Eagles. But the Rams take the 2nd half kickoff and the lead on RB Blount's 16 yard tackle-breaking bulldozing run. Rams 10-6.

After an exchange of punts, Prescott slips through the grasp of DT Suh, and spirals a beautiful 71 yard TD pass to WR Richardson, who is wide open because of the blown zone coverage. Eagles 13-10.

Early in the 4th QTR, St Louis'  Forbath kicks a FG, tying the game at 13. On the next drive, the Rams challenged an incomplete, and "after further review", CB Trufant secured the INT before it hit off the ground. After a Rams punt, Prescott tried to hit TE Derby off of play action run to Darkwa, but CB Smith smelled it out and stepped in front and kept on running for the go ahead and winning TD.  

Coming up in the AFC the Pittsburgh Steelers will be heading to New England to try and find a way to slow down the Patriots who have put a huge hurting on them in both contests this season.  The Houston Texans will travel to in state rival Dallas as they try and pull the upset over the Cowboys and move on to the AFC Championship game.

Coming up in the NFC the New Orleans Saints and NY Giants match up in a clash worthy of the Super Bowl as one very good team will be out early as the other moves on.  The Carolina Panthers will host the central division winning St. Louis Rams in an attempt to move on to the conference championship game.

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III. STANDINGS

http://www.blades99.com/ISFL/Standings18.htm

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IV. RESULTS – Wild Card Results 

Jacksonville 6 New Orleans 23

Philadelphia 13 St. Louis 20

Denver 31 Houston 34

Pittsburgh 19 New York (A) 0