A quick look at the key battles remaining and the likely implications on the chase for the four playoff positions. Currently, Concannon leads TMac and Malinn in the Norwood Division while Lee is just ahead of Curran and DFlam by tiebreaker in the Mustang Division.
Week 12
Tighe v Curran
Malinn v Concannon
TMac v Brett
Lee v DFlam
Nemo v Thompson
A 'dead rubber' contest between Nemo and Thompson indicates two key head-to-head clashes and indeed that is exactly what we have as Malinn meets Concannon and Lee grapples with DFlam.
First, the Concannon-Malinn tilt is yet another 'playoff' game for Malinn as his 6-5 record means no more slips can be tolerated. In what is not an unusual position, Malinn is down in the standings but charging fast in a trademark late season surge. However, in what has been a strange top-heavy year he finds himself two full games out of the playoffs with three to go and might become the second nine-win team to miss the playoffs. A win here would give him a good chance meet Lee in Week 14 with something on the line as Tighe could provide easy opposition in Week 13. Concannon, meanwhile, has led the league from the starting gun but could find himself out of the playoff picture entirely with a loss. However, with Lee-DFlam going it is more likely that he remains in the playoffs by a tie-breaker.
The Lee-DFlam matchup has plenty of intrigue as at this point it seems only Curran could overtake Lee to win the division by a tie-breaker. Therefore, a DFlam victory is critical as he will need to be ahead of the Korean by a clear game to earn the honor of a divisional championship. Both face Brett but with DFlam getting Thompson and Lee facing Malinn the schedule edge looking ahead is with DFlam so there is some urgency here for Lee, as well.
Other notes
-Brett has provided tough opposition of late but TMac has won six straight and should continue his winning ways
-Tighe hit 100 last week and a repeat could make life uncomfortable for Curran
Week 13
Brett v Lee
Malinn v Tighe
TMac v Concannon
Nemo v Curran
Thompson v DFlam
The Concannon-TMac showdown headlines this slate as the division title could be on the line. It is a rematch of a 92-90 win for TMac in week 9.
The remaining four games see four playoff contender meet four Luck contenders. More to come on the specifics in a week but Brett-Lee jumps out as a potential banana skin.
Week 14
Malinn v Lee
Tighe v Nemo
TMac v Curran
Concannon v Thompson
Brett v DFlam
Rivalry Week returns in full glory with a slate of juicy matchups. Malinn-Lee could, provided Malinn gets to eight wins, be for a playoff berth while TMac-Curran could be the same. Concannon-Thompson and Brett-DFlam will certainly see spoiler intrigue while Tighe-Nemo, the league oldest rivalry, will be relegated to ESPNTapeDelay given the lack of playoff implications.
Summary
Top Matchup- Week 13, Concannon-TMac
Seems this way now, at least. Given the massive points gap, Concannon would need to trail TMac by a full two games entering week 14 for the division to be clinched. Therefore, this game will likely decide the title- two wins to close the year by TMac should give him the honors while a Concannon win will likely force a desired tie-breaker.
Toughest Schedule- TMac
A tough call as the six contenders all face at least one team on the outside but TMac gets two eight-win opponents to close out the year along with a tricky game against Brett. On the flip side, Curran gets the easiest slate with both Tighe and Nemo before a final-week TMac showdown.
Spoiler- Brett
With three games against eight-win squads Brett is in a unique position to upset the balance of the playoff chase. His stable of running backs gives him a good chance as the weather turns south but the key man may be Sam Bradford, in the middle of a tough year, getting his act together against lesser opponents in December. Thompson and Nemo, with solid quarterbacking, and Tighe, who hit 100 last week, are all candidates, but none of the three has the schedule Brett has.
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