PEARL HARBOR PREDATORS [GM ANELLI]

[GM Rinaldi]

"Appreciate you being able to work out a deal with me. We look forward to Fox playing with us for a long time. Have a good one."



"Diana, please let Coach McCarthy know I'd like to speak to him very briefly. I know that they're getting ready to leave so I'll keep it short and sweet."



"Coach, a fucking mess happening all around the league right now, but we've managed to keep all of our players this week so we're all set. I don't know if Owens or Kemp is gonna miss this game, but my thinking is if you think they're good to go, then they're good to go. If not, then so be it. We ride with whoever we've got available.

I'm assuming you have nothing to add so all I'll say is good luck out there."


LOCK IN

[GM Rinaldi]

"Massive win over Kansas City to move the Predators to 5-2 for the season and keep pace with the division leading Stingrays. What stood out to you about this game?"

"It was a great game on both sides of the ball, which is a lot tougher to do than it seems. I think both our offense and defense did their part and in return we were rewarded with an 18 point win. Our defense especially did amazing keeping Kansas City to 0 points in the first half and really only allowing them to score when the game was already out of reach. We have looked the part of a division contending team so far so we'll hope to keep at it this week."

"What is your take on the PFL/HIFL war?"

"I don't know if I need to have a take on it but I could say that the word 'war' is a bit of a stretch. Feud might be a better word. Either way, it's a situation that was totally avoidable but we all know there's general managers who can't ever just get their head out of where the sun doesn't shine and just do what needs to be done. I see some HIFL general managers are reveling in the chaos and I'm sure their owners are keeping a good eye on how all of us handle this situation. That...Khantana came after Patrick Fox and offered him a big deal so I made sure that he wouldn't be going anywhere for the next few years by giving him a new deal. Other general managers saw an opportunity to make a mountain out of a mole hill and went to work but I wasn't interested in doing so."

"Were you pro-Gates treaty or anti-Gates treaty, and why?"

"I supposed I was pro-Gates treaty because it would have solved the issue at hand and avoided this nonsense that's currently going. I don't like giving up a good chunk of our GM emergency relief fund but...you know...it's a damn emergency relief fund. It's kind of the point, isn't it?"

"What was your opinion on the choices of GMs selected for the summit?"

"Some were good choices and others were not. GM BIG DOG was an alright choice for our division because we all know that if GM Dazz was there, he and GM Wayne would have been having a contest for as to who can act like the biggest YOU-KNOW-WHAT. GM Stark was actually a smart choice because at the very least he's got a ton of experience dealing with people who act like toddlers since he's like a great grandfather or something. But, this was doomed the moment they let someone in there with an ego that rivals the one Profits has.

GM Gates did a good job, but unfortunately having to deal with children every day probably was enough to push him over the edge."

"What do you think of GM Pancho being voted in as interim GM Rep?"

"I'm fine with it. Shockingly, I actually don't mind GM Pancho. Don't get me wrong, I'm not like his biggest fan or anything but at least he can remove his head out of his rear end when business needs to be done. So needless to say, I expect him to get things straightened out ASAP."

"Discuss the news this week, anything that stood out, especially if it related to your team."

"I saw that the PFL is looking to nab Christopher Hill IV from us. I'll have a meeting with him and see where his head is at, but I won't discuss more on that matter right now.

I saw the Sydney news and while I'm not married or have children, I'd imagine I'd be pretty livid as well if I missed the birth of my child. I suppose GM Dazz doesn't trust grown men to not be on their phones when they're at work, but I don't worry about stuff like that here. Maybe because I actually trust professionals to act like professionals. I promise you that you will never see me act like that because I don't have some weird fetish where I want to run my team like I'm a leader of a small fascist country or treat my players like they're a bunch of 6th graders. I got faith that my guys come to practice to practice and clearly they do come to do just that because we are 5-2."

"It is mid-season, who has been your teams MVP?  Who needs to step up and show you more in the final half of the season?"

"Asking me a question like this is definitely asking for trouble. I think we've had a few guys look really great. Dominic Owens has taken a step up and has played lights out. Shawn Simon is always a problem. Hines and Havlock slowly making the case that they might be one of the best CB duos in the league. And Fox and Walston continue to give teams problems. If they all keep it up, we can make a lot of noise this season.

Who needs to step up? I can't pick one person out but I will say that if Isaiah Simmons can get to the QB a little more often than he does, then we'd have a very scary defense for other teams to contend with. He hasn't played bad, he's got 4 sacks in 7 games, but I'd love it if by the end of the season he's averaging a sack per game. It's a contract year for him and I'd like for him to get his money from us, especially since we traded for him."

"The trade deadline is fast approaching, what should fans expect from your office?"

"We're buyers so they should expect us to do our best to buy. I don't know if we'll get any deals done, but we'll do our best to improve the team with the resources we have. We won't rush into any deals just so that we can say we made a deal."

"You visit Seattle this week. They've been struggling this season. Do you expect this to be another win?"

"I am always confident that we can win every game, but a team like Seattle is not one to sleep on. They will take you down to the wire and if we do not play at our level, they will make us pay for it. GM Stark is a good GM and I expect nothing less from a team that he's put together.

That'll be all today. Thank you."



"Diana, could you please see if Christopher Hill IV can come see me? I'd like to speak to him about his PFL offer."



"Chris, how's it going? I've heard the PFL have made an offer and just wanted to hear what it was and how you're feeling about it."

[Talon]

Biggest thing they offering me is WR2

[GM Rinaldi]

"Well, I unfortunately can't offer you that so if you choose to accept the deal, I understand. That being said, I would prefer if you waited until free agency to really explore your options and finished out the season with us, but in the end it's up to you. They are offering you more money and a better spot on the depth chart, so I get it if you do decide to depart for the PFL. There will be no hard feelings on this side, especially if you're making a move that you think might benefit you more going forward."

[Talon]

I appreciate you understanding and not having any hard feelings but I've decided to stay.

[GM Rinaldi]

"Perfect! Glad you're staying on with us. Good luck out there this week."



"Diana, could you please let Coach McCarthy know I'd like to see him? Thanks."



"Coach, Chris is staying on so that's one less player we have to worry about the PFL poaching. How are we feeling about our game this week? Also if we had to make a trade, what position would you prefer I go after? Where would you say we need the most help at?""

[Talon]

 

We could definitely improve at tackle over Dobson, he's been a weak point in pass protection

[GM Rinaldi]

"I'll see what I can do for that next week. This week we'll just have to make do. Hopefully the PFL leaves us alone. Good luck vs Seattle this week."

LOCK IN

[GM Rinaldi]

"A dominant win by Pearl Harbor moves you to 6-2, which is your best start as a GM. How confident are you that you will be in the playoffs again this season?"

"Don't want to sound overconfident, but if this team stays healthy we should at the very least make playoffs this season. I have higher hopes than that, but for now, I think at the minimum we are in the playoffs again."

"What do you make of RoMar winning Offensive Player of the Game over Dominic Owens, who threw 6 touchdowns and 0 interceptions?"

"I think it's a bit of a joke, to be quite honest. RoMar put up half those numbers when the game was already well in hand for us and we took the foot off the gas pedal. Dominic dominated from start to finish. Feels like he got slighted there but what do I know? I guess we'll settle for the win this week."

"Did you see the news that the ticket sales exploded for your game against Cleveland in Week 11 in Cleveland due to it being the game where they'll retire Turnover Taylor's jersey? What do you make of that?"

"Well, I think most of the ticket sales did probably come from the fact that they're retiring a team legend's jersey but I'm sure a couple of tickets were sold when the fans of that godforsaken city realized there was going to be a team that actually wins football games playing that week. So...we'll keep trying to win to really get those ticket prices up for Cleveland and maybe then the ownership can clean up the streets of those meth heads running around and get them into rehab."

"Donald Walston's option expires after this week. Will you be picking it up?"

"Absolutely. Then next season we'll work out a deal with his agent to keep him here long term if we can."

"Milwaukee visits this week and according to various sportsbooks, you are the most heavily favored team this week with a spread of -9.0. Do you make anything of that?"

"I mean, it's no secret that Milwaukee has struggled this season and we've been one of the better teams, but games aren't won on paper. They are very capable of catching us off guard in this game and embarrassing us. Our goal should be to take care of business and not let them make this a competitive game and gain any confidence as the game goes along. They are run by a very experienced GM so we need to do our best to keep them at bay and pick up another win so we can stay neck and neck with Sydney.

I think that should be all, guys. Thank you for the questions."



"Diana, could you do me a favorite and tell me what we have remaining in salary and bonus money? I just want to make sure I have the correct numbers here."

[Talon]

 

My records show us with 650K in salary and 1.5MM in bonus.

[GM Rinaldi]

"Thank you. Please let Coach McCarthy know I'd like to speak to him when he's available."



"Another big win in the books, coach. I see Dobson had a fire lit under his ass this past week..."

[Talon]

 

...yeah, almost like he heard us talking about him. Weird.

[GM Rinaldi]

"He did a great job, but he's yet to really find consistency this season so I am going to try and make a move for someone to at least challenge him for his spot in the lineup. Is there anything else we need to go over for this week for now? I'm planning on trying to get some extensions and obviously a trade or two done."

[Talon]

 

No sir, Ill leave you to your work.

[GM Rinaldi]

"Appreciate it."



"Diana, please get me Bobby Shapiro on the line. Thank you."



"Mr. Shapiro, it's GM Rinaldi. I'm calling about your client Marquise Hines. Now, I know he's still got a year left on his deal after this but I'm offering a proposition of sorts. I would like to sign him to an extension starting next season. So, we basically rip up the current contract after this season and we get his new contract started in Season 17. I offered Havlock a total of $71MM through 4 years in free agency and I'm about to put your client in the same ballpark.

My offer is a 4 year deal starting next season where your client makes $16MM in salary and $2MM in bonus money per year, bringing it to a total of $72MM. The 4th year, just like for Havlock, will be a player option. What do you think? Do we have the makings of a deal here?"

[Talon]

We'll take that action.  Lets get it signed.

[GM Rinaldi]

"Glad to be able to get a deal smoothed out quickly. Have a good one, Bobby."



"Diana, could you get me in touch with Darrell Hendrickson's agent? I believe it's Mr. James T. Crain."



"Mr. Crain, I'm calling about your client Darrell Hendrickson. He's on his final year and obviously we'd like to keep him here. What are you looking for in a deal?"

[Talon]

 

$11MM per season for 2 years would be good.

[GM Rinaldi]

"We can agree to that deal. While I have you here, let's talk Eric Moya. His deal expires after this season. How much would it take to bring him back?"

[Talon]

 

$15MM per season.

[GM Rinaldi]

"Can we agree on that for the next two seasons?"

[Talon]

 

Make. CLAP It. CLAP So. CLAP

[GM Rinaldi]

"Glad we can keep both of your clients around for the next few years. Have a good one."



"Diana, please pass a message on to Coach McCarthy that I apologize for not being able to get a deal done for another tackle, but that I will be looking at who is left in free agency and possibly sign a backup to give Dobson some competition. I'd tell him myself but I'm sure he's fully focused on the game this week at this point and don't want to bug him. Thanks."

LOCK IN

[GM Rinaldi]

"Alright, let's get started. Who has got a question?"

"A good, but expected win vs Milwaukee. Your team now sits at 7-2. How much more confidence do you have that your team can now possibly win the division and if Winnipeg and Tucson slip up, possibly secure the one seed?"

"I've always been confident that my team can win this division so that confidence hasn't wavered. Let's cool the one seed talk though. While we don't play either Winnipeg or Tucson, we're not gonna be sitting idly by, hoping for some other teams to do the work for us. Whether we get the one seed or not doesn't matter. We just have to make it to the dance. Once we're there, anything can happen, Amsterdam and Miami were the last teams in for their conference the last two seasons and they each made the Impact Bowl. Anything can happen in HIFL."

"You are likely meeting with your owner this week. Do you believe he's happy with what you've done so far this season?"

"I sincerely hope so. We're off to the best start in my four years here so hopefully we keep it going and I prove that I was worth the deal he gave me."

"You didn't get any deals done during the deadline. Were any deals close to being done and just couldn't get pushed past the finish line?"

"We spoke with a few teams about a few players, but no formal offer was made to anyone. We just didn't think it was worth giving up draft capital for players we didn't consider great improvements over what we got. We might look to free agency to shore up a few positions this week, but I don't make any promises. That being said, it's a 7-2 team so there's not much reason to meddle with it."

"This week you head to Cleveland to face the Mustangs. Your team is now the only team left that is undefeated on the road. Do you feel confident in a win over GM Wayne's team?"

"I think Cleveland embarrassed us last season so I would very much like for us to put up a better fight and maybe even embarrass them this week. I make it no secret that GM Wayne and I do not see eye-to-eye but you give the devil his due when it's warranted. He has built up a good team and even though they've started off the season a lot slower than most expected, the Mustangs can still blow you out if you don't have your head on straight against them. We have proven that we don't quiver at being in enemy territory so I look forward to what will likely be a great contest.

That'll be all the questions I'm taking today. Thank you for your time."



"Coach, another solid win in the books. We're playing great football right now and I appreciate the job you're doing. Apologies for not being able to secure another tackle to possibly give Dobson some competition, but he has played rather well these past two weeks so maybe we didn't need another tackle. I can still try and get a serviceable backup from free agency if that's what you think would be best."

[Talon]

 

He is playing better ball and there isn't much on the market to really help, so I think we're in a good enough spot for now.

[GM Rinaldi]

"Fair enough. I'll let you get back to work. This Cleveland game is very important now that we've got the division lead."



"Diana, is Mr. Masrani available? I'm sure he'll want to speak with me about how the season is going."

[Talon]

 

No sir, but he passes on how pleased his is with our season so far.

[Talon]

 

I'm headed to Whole Foods for some Quinoa, want anything?

[Talon]

THE TRAIN IS LEAVING THE STATION. CHOO CHOO!

[GM Rinaldi]

"I'm all set, thank you. Let's go put Cleveland in the dirt."

LOCK IN

[GM Rinaldi]

"Brutal loss vs Cleveland. This loss ends your undefeated streak on the road. What are your thoughts on the game?"

"I think we played like hot garbage and Cleveland whooped us rightfully. They're a very well coached team and their QB is actually good. Shame about the GM being a complete di-"

*GM RINALDI STOPS HIMSELF, REALIZING THE FINE THAT WOULD COME IF HE FINISHED THAT THOUGHT. HE GATHERS HIMSELF AND CONTINUES SPEAKING.*

"There's not much to hate about the Cleveland Mustangs team, but what there is to hate about it is very clear."

"It's no secret that you don't like GM Wayne and we very much doubt you're on his Christmas card list. Did you have a chance to listen to his post-game press conference where he basically stated that Dominic Owens isn't a great quarterback? What do you make of that?"

"GM Wayne's team just hit .500. What does he really know about a great quarterback? That opinion might as well be printed on a piece of toilet paper so it can be used to do exactly what toilet paper is used for.

It's hilarious that he says that AFTER Dom has had the worst game of his season, arguably his career. What, he couldn't find the testicular fortitude to say it beforehand? What's that thing Michael Jordan said?

'Let's see if all that trash talking starts when it's zero-zero instead of a five or six point lead. That's the sign of a good man, if he can talk trash while it's even score or talk when they're behind.'

I am paraphrasing so I don't get fined, but you all get my point. He certainly wasn't puffing his chest out before the game when his team was under .500 and our team was riding in with a win streak. Hell, he basically spent his presser sending a thoughts and prayers message out to AJ, like any of us actually believe he meant any of those words. Meanwhile, I had no problem talking my talk before the game had even kicked off. I said I wanted to embarrass them and in turn they embarrassed us, but I'm not going to express any regret about what I said. I talked my trash and it wasn't backed up, but I'll be damned if you see me keeping quiet before a victory and then barking afterwards.

Maybe if GM Wayne can find it in himself to actually nut up, he'll talk his talk before the game next time we face off against each other. Doubt it though.

Next question. Something about this team and not some blowhard preferably."

"This week you face off against a struggling San Antonio team. How do you think you'll do against them?"

"Preferably better than we did against Cleveland. All due respect to San Antonio, but this should be the game that gets us back on track. We have lost control of the division lead, but we will do our best to make sure we are still in that fight until the end, and hopefully we end up being the one out of these four good teams that wins it. We lose this game and there should be rightfully serious questions asked about our playoff chances. That's how I feel about this matchup.

That'll be all. Thank you."



"Coach, fuck Cleveland and the entire state of Ohio while we're at it. Absolutely awful result, but I know we'll bounce back this week. What did you make of the game, outside of the fact that Dom had a rough time?"

[Talon]

 

Honestly, Dom wasn't as bad as the numbers look. He had 16 incompletions but he had 15 plays where he was either PD'd or pressured/hit so only one real clean-pocket incompletion.   Obviously we want to see some of those pressured throws get completed, but it does skew the numbers. 

Our first possession of the game started with a throw away, then a PD from Maxley intended for Simon, and then on 3rd and 10 the pass to Dodds gets picked off by Britt and taken back for a pick six.  Set the tone for a rough day.  The next play is a Sack, then a PD from Britt, and on 3rd and 16 Dom got his first completion to Simon for 6 yards. 

We had two more drives in that first quarter.    First one was a 3 yard pass to Hill, a 6 yard loss on a sack from Bruiser Elliott, and then a 9 yard pass to Dodds on 3rd and 12.

then the last one had two 1 yard runs from Francisco, and on 3rd down Owen checked down to Simon for 3 yards..   The second quarter had the other INT, 2nd and 9 from our own 17, Dom goes to check down to Johnson, its tipped at the line and picked off by Albrecht, but the defense did manage to hold them to a FG from the goal line.

The hardest part of the game to me was first quarter, 3rd and 10 -- Fox lays a big hit to stop the play short and force a punt, but they flag him for helmet to helmet which was fair, he hit him wrong and we suffered for it.  On the very next play though Raymond Allen sacks Fields and forces a fumble, but it gets negated when they flag Fox for blowing up Fields on the scramble for the ball.  So he's got a big fine coming for two unsportsmanlike/unnecessary roughness calls, but the very next play Fields hits Owens for a 33 yard TD.  So we go from 3 and out to turnover, ot short field touchdown and it just buried us at 21-0.

[GM Rinaldi]

"I figured it was just a rough start that we couldn't overcome. It is what it is. We're still 7-3. We have a very manageable game vs San Antonio coming up to try and get back on track. I know DeJesus is likely out for at least this game but next man up when it comes to this team, right?

Anything else we need to go over or do you feel okay with getting this show on the road this week?"

[Talon]

 

I'm comfortable, if you are.

[GM Rinaldi]

"Then let's get back to winning ways."

LOCK IN

[Talon]

THE PRESS WAITS ON PINS AND NEEDLES

[GM Rinaldi]

"I would love to take everyone's question today but I'm going to keep this presser short and sweet and hopefully cover enough for you guys to write about.

We had a really good bounce back game against San Antonio. Dominic Owens got right back on track and has shown that the Cleveland game was just a bad day in a season of generally very good days for him. I expect him to bring the same fire to these last few weeks, especially since we're in a tight division race and a tight playoff race.

There wasn't too much that interested me in the news this week but I have to say that Justin Fields violating undisclosed team rules isn't really surprising when you see who his GM is and what state he plays in. The three staples of Ohio are stupidity, alcoholism, and mediocre to absolutely atrocious chili. He never stood a chance.

This week we host Sydney and it's our biggest game of the season. With a win we likely reclaim the top of the division. With a loss we're likely the team on the outside looking in. If we want to prove we're not only a playoff team, but contenders for this division, we have to win this game. If we don't then we have dug ourselves a hole that we are gonna have to work very hard to get out of. We likely won't have DeJesus or Andrus for this game which isn't ideal but almost every team is battling injuries at this stage of the season so we can't complain. Just have the next man up step up and see what they can do with their opportunity.

Looking forward to a good one. I'll see you all next week."



"Great bounce back win this week, Coach. I don't think we have too much to discuss this week about Sydney, right?"

[Talon]

 

Not really, we're in for a real battle obviously, but we have the team to win this game.

[GM Rinaldi]

"Let's go get that win then."

LOCK IN

[GM Rinaldi]

"Not an ideal game I'd say. We didn't do what we needed to do. A win would've had us looking at division title hopes but we didn't win so now we're just looking to not be the one team with a winning record in our division missing out on playoffs. Hats off to Sydney for a well played game.

I think we really have to tighten up and focus on these final four weeks. This week we play Oakland who didn't necessarily take it easy on us last time. They absolutely thrashed us and I hope that that game is still in the back of our guys' minds because it is coming down to the wire here. We need to do whatever we can to get out of Oakland with a win because I know a win there would make our playoff chances just a little bit better.

Any questions? No? Good. Have a good one and I'll see you all next week."



"Coach, a very important four weeks to close out the season. We don't play any easy games down the stretch so we need to be at our very best if we want to make the playoffs for the second year in a row. Is there anything that needs to be brought up right now? Is DeJesus gonna be ready to play or are we looking at another week without him?"

[Talon]

 

From talking to him, he seems hungry to play, but I dont think he's ready to go.  Nothing I see we /need/ to talk about.  We know the job, we just have to go do it.

[GM Rinaldi]

"We need this one, Coach. Good luck out there."

LOCK IN

[GM Rinaldi]

"Big win for us. I think it was a fight between two very good teams and it's always big to go on the road against a division rival and get out of there with a win. Oakland is a very good team but we needed some revenge after how our first matchup went."

"What did you think of Daniel Dobson winning Offensive Player of the Game?"

"I don't know how often an offensive lineman gets that type of acknowledgment but I'm glad to see it. The o-line guys are usually the unsung heroes of really good teams so I'm glad to see them get praise whenever they can."

"With Sydney's loss to Long Beach you have found yourself back in the race for the division crown. How do you feel about that?"

"I feel like we can't focus on anything happening that we can't control. We've got three games left to play. We win those 3 and we can sit here and say we did our best to win this division. Whether it is enough to do it, we'll see."

"St. Paul this week. How are you feeling about hosting a Lynx team that is fighting for a spot in the playoffs?"

"I think every game is going to be a challenge whether the team we play has a winning record or not. St. Paul is run by a very experienced GM and they've beaten us in the past so we simply cannot give them a chance to grab a hold of this game and not let go. We need to put ourselves in the driver's seat and not take the foot off the gas pedal.

That'll be it for the questions. Thanks, everyone."



"We needed the win and we got the win. I can't say we have anything to complain about having yet another over .500 season, Coach. We've got 3 games left and not one of them is gonna be easy. How are we feeling about the Lynx?"

[Talon]

 

Their backs are against a wall, Kitchen and McNasty can both carry the team so I don't like trying to single in on one phase of the game. 

We need to convert drives, that starts with stacking first downs and ends with touchdowns.

We can do that.

[GM Rinaldi]

"I believe in you guys. Let's go get our 10th win of the season and keep the pressure on Sydney."

LOCK IN

[GM Rinaldi]

"Tough loss to bring us under .500 at home this season. It's disappointing that we keep losing games in front of our fans but we have one more game this week to bring us back to .500 at home. Right now we're currently sitting in the final wildcard spot so if we do our job we have nothing to worry about when the season comes to an end.

I saw Daley's comments where he said we don't deserve the final playoff spot. If that's how the Oakland roster feels then may I suggest not losing to us in your house? Just a suggestion.

I echo Dominic's comments about us having a tough road but that we live for this challenge. We've got a lot of guys who are extremely motivated by these final two games so I can't wait to see what they do these final 2 weeks.

We host Long Beach in our final home game of the season and we will look to defend our home and make our fans happy. We've been very mediocre at home so I'd love for us to at least finish .500 in our house this season.

I'll see you all next week."



"Coach, I don't really have anything to add for this week. We've got two very important weeks. Let's go out there and do what we usually do against Long Beach."

LOCK IN

[GM Rinaldi]

"A big win for us that has all but guaranteed us the playoffs. It's always nice to make the fans happy with your final home game.

We have one game left on the schedule and while we can't win the division anymore, we can go out there and make a statement against a team we may end up seeing in the playoffs. The Stingrays embarrassed us last time but we aim to go out there and split the series against them."



"Coach, there's nothing else to go over anymore. Not having Scott or Lester for this game sucks but we've just gotta hope the next man steps up."

LOCK IN

[GM Rinaldi]

"Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen.

The Predators are back in the playoffs by the skin of our teeth but we're glad that after 17 weeks we've managed to make our second straight playoff appearance. I'll get to speaking about our opponent in the playoffs but first I'd like to reflect on the season we had.

We have been resilient all season long and have answered back every bad loss with a good win. Unfortunately, I will admit that our last few games could've gone better. Finishing 2-3 in our last five games after going 8-3 in our first 11 should be a cause for concern but I have faith in my coaching staff and players to shake off these last few games and come into this playoff game looking to cause an upset.

We didn't finish with an elite offense or defense on paper and as of right now I'd argue we're one of the least favored teams in these playoffs after managing to just get in. However, when it comes to the playoffs, you have to throw the paper away. All you need is one game where everything clicks and anyone can beat anyone. We've seen it multiple times in the HIFL playoffs. Yes, there's favorites and there's underdogs and most of the times the favorites win but sometimes...sometimes David does beat Goliath.

Obviously, this is exactly what we're looking at in our first round matchup. We face Winnipeg and it's safe to say that they are not only favorites in this game, but heavy favorites. Winnipeg is a well-oiled machine filled with massive talent and run by a very competent GM. They're the back to back champs. They've made three straight Impact Bowls. They are where every team in the Western Conference wants to be; the top of the mountain.

However, when you're at the top of the mountain, the fall from the top is something that you always dread and that is always in the back of your head. I have massive respect for Winnipeg but eventually someone has to beat them and stop them from making yet another Impact Bowl. Why not us?

Don't worry, I live in a land of reality. I know that our chances to move on past them are slim...but they're not zero...and that's what every man in our locker room knows as well. They know that as long as they believe that they have a chance...they have a chance.

We don't have Clyde for this game and honestly it's not great considering he's our best player at defensive tackle. However, I believe in next man up and I know Rosenbaum and Kennedy will do their best to fill in for our injured defensive tackles.

Best of luck to Winnipeg and I'll see you all here next week, win or lose."



"Coach, rough end to the season but we've made it to the playoffs and that's all that matters at this moment. Now everyone is at 0-0. What do we think about our chances against Winnipeg?"

[Talon]

 

We know they can throw the ball, but we've been strong against the run all year.   Only Kitchen beat us through the air in a loss this year, at least since the bye week.

if we can avoid letting them get into our heads, we just have to believe we belong and that we can take them.   If Dom and Shawn get hot on offense, I believe we can put pressure on them, my only concern is turnovers.   3 of Dom's 8 INTs came in the last 4 games.  We need to protect the football.

[GM Rinaldi]

"Would maybe incorporating the run a bit more help take some pressure off Dom? Maybe it can help limit bad throws that may or may not lead to turnovers?"