| IT'S OFFICIALLY A THREE TEAM RACE IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FOR THE 2ND SEED IN THE PLAYOFFS AS LOS ANGELES RETURNS TO FORM IN FRONT OF INTENSE CROWD THAT WELCOMED PRO FOOTBALL BACK TO LOS ANGELES ON FRIDAY NIGHT. THE FIRST HALF WAS TRULY LIKE WITNESSING HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT BACK AND FORTH WITH A 13-13 TIE AT HALFTIME.
FROM THE FIRST SERIES FANS WITNESSED THE INTENSITY OF THIS PLAYOFF-LIKE ATMOSPHERE WESTERN CONFERENCE BATTLE WHEN LOS ANGELES' MONIQUE GAXIOLA SLAMMED DOWN SEATTLE RUNNING BACK KATIE RYCKMAN ONLY TO HAVE RYCKMAN RETURN THE FAVOR. IT WAS CLEAR NEITHER TEAM WAS WILLING TO BACK DOWN.
LOS ANGELES FINALLY BENCHED QUARTERBACK JOEY DAVENPORT AFTER TWO POOR PERFORMANCES ONE OF WHICH MIGHT HAVE COST LOS ANGELES A WIN, ELECTING TO GO WITH ROOKIE PHENOM QUARTERBACK ALI EASTLAKE. DESPITE ONLY HAVING A COUPLE OF WEEKS WITH LA'S PLAYBOOK AND SCHEME, EASTLAKE MANAGED THE GAME WELL RUSHING FOR 59YDS AND PASSING FOR 35YDS. DESPITE A LACK OF A CLEAR-CUT SUPERSTAR OUTSIDE OF PERHAPS ALL-FANTASY WR BRITTANIE DE GARBOTT, THE TEMPTS MOVED THE BALL THROUGHOUT THE GAME WITH A COMMITTEE OF ROLE PLAYERS WITH MOST OF THE PLAYS FEATURING GAME MVP MICHELE JACOT AND ALISA LUCIK. JACOT AND LUCIK HAVE FLOWN UNDER THE RADAR MOST OF THE SEASON BUT BOTH ARE HAVING ALL-FANTASY TYPE SEASONS. DEFENSIVELY, LOS ANGELES STAYED TRUE TO FORM BEING DOMINANT WITH THEIR FRONT THREE WHILE THE SECONDARY STRUGGLED.
COMING IN UNDEFEATED BUT STILL NOT RESPECTED, SEATTLE HAD A CHIP ON IT'S SHOULDER AND WANTED TO BEAT A TOP-TIER TEAM TO SEND A MESSAGE. THE MIST OPENED THE SEASON BEATING DENVER AND SEATTLE, HOWEVER THOSE TEAMS HAVE A COMBINED RECORD OF 0-5, SO THIS WAS THEIR FIRST REAL TEST OF THE SEASON.
THE MIST SHOWCASED AN AVERAGE OFFENSE LED BY QUARTERBACK NATASHA LINDSEY WHO LACKED THE ARM-STRENGTH TO EXPOSE LOS ANGELES' WEAK SECONDARY ONLY COMPLETING 1 PASS BEYOND 20 YARDS. DESPITE A LACK OF OFFENSIVE WEAPONS OUTSIDE OF ALL-FANTASY RB KATIE RYCKMAN, THE MIST OFFENSE MANAGED TO RACK UP A RESPECTABLE 133 YARDS. RYCKMAN WHO DESPITE HER SMALL FRAME AGAIN IMPRESSED WITH JUST A TENACITY AND DRIVE THAT IS TOUGH TO DESCRIBE ON PAPER. SEATTLE'S DEFENSE HELD TRUE TO FORM AS THE NO.1 DEFENSE IN THE LFL FOR MOST THE GAME ONLY BEING EXPOSED VIA LA'S GROUND GAME THAT CHEWED UP 139 YARDS ON THE NIGHT. THE MIST DEFENSE WAS REALLY EXPOSED IN THE 2ND HALF WITH LINEBACKER LINDSEY BLAINE MISSING FROM THE LINE-UP SUSTAINING A CONCUSSION BEFORE THE END OF 1ST HALF PLAY.
FOLLOWING LOS ANGELES' WIN, THE PLAYOFF PICTURE IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE HAS BECOME CLEAR WITH THE FOLLOWING SCENARIOS TO ADVANCE TO THE PLAYOFFS AS THE NO.2 SEED IN THE WEST:
LOS ANGELES TO ADVANCE, BEAT SAN DIEGO OR SEATTLE LOSS
SEATTLE TO ADVANCE, BEAT DALLAS OR LOS ANGELES LOSS
SAN DIEGO TO ADVANCE, BEAT DENVER AND LOS ANGELES
**IN CASE OF TIES IT WILL COME DOWN TO HEAD-TO-HEAD THEN POINT DIFFERENTIAL |
