We're still about two weeks away from the start of winter but, in some corners of the league, we're already beginning to see some cooling off. Teams that seemed red-hot just a few short weeks ago are now struggling.
Chief among those is Hit Em With The Hein!!!, who began the season 7-0 and seemed a lock for the #1 seed in the Sagebrush division. But after suffering their 3rd straight loss in week 10, those who argued that they were merely the fortunate recipients of a lucky schedule are looking more and more like they were right.
This might be a good time to remind everyone that no team in Sagebrush Cactus League history has ever started 6-0, or better, and failed to make the playoffs. Although they still have a 2-game lead in the division, there are 3 weeks left and, in the event of a tie in the standings, the record-breaker is Total Points For - a category where they rank lowest in their division. If Hein!!! doesn't get their act together soon, we may see yet another first in this record-setting season.
And they're not alone on their downward journey.
Through the first 6 weeks of the season, Pork Chop Express looked like the team to beat in the Cactus division. They were 5-1, averaging 117.3 points per game. Fast-forward to this week where they've now lost 3 of their last 4 games and their average score has dropped to 99 points. Even more worrisome is the fact that this team is just 1 game away from missing the playoffs.
They're also joined by Blue Ribbon. Ribbon is 3-4 since becoming the first team in league history to score 200 points, suggesting that game put a bullseye on their back they cannot shake. In 5 of those weeks, they failed to hit the 100-point mark and now they're heading into next week with terrible player matchups and without their star QB, Russell Wilson. Things are not looking good.
And before you get comfortable thinking I didn't notice your downward slide, Flash Dem TD's, think again. The TD's have lost 3 of their last 4 with a pair of sub 80-point games in that span. Though, to be fair, they also have a 140-point game in that span that earned them a loss, which is tough to count against them.
Except for Team RamRod, it felt like winter had set on the entire Sagebrush division this week. Just a week after I gave them accolades for their strong work against their Cactus foes, they go and make me eat crow and drop 5 of 6 inter-league games. I would say well played, but the joke's on you. With only one week remaining of inter-league play, the Cactus division holds a 2-game lead in the standings.
Perhaps the worst time to cool off is when you've won 3 straight, you're the highest scoring team in the league, and you're one of the final 3 left in the Survivor Challenge, as was the case with Chief Sticky Balls. Despite a career day from Daniel Jones (42 pts) and a respectable 18-point performance from their temporary defense (Colts), they fell short in their game and Survivor.
While a number of teams are cooling off, there are a few that are heating up. Namely, RamRod and Los Perros Locos. They each look like completely different teams than they did in the early weeks of the season.
After their 0-4 start to the season, RamRod made some significant changes that appear to have paid off in spades. They have won 3 straight and 5 of their last 6, and they have seen their average score balloon from 89.8 pts/gm to 128.3 pts/gm. Once an afterthought in the Sagebrush playoff race, Team RamRod is now the hottest team in the division.
In the Cactus division, it appears the Perros found their bite. Over the past 5 weeks, they're average score of 127.2 pts/gm is best in the league. If you narrow the scope to just the past 3 weeks, that average score climbs to a ridiculous 151.3 pts/gm with their 3-week low being 138 points. And like RamRod, they've won 3 straight to put themselves back into the thick of the Cactus playoff race.
With all we've covered above, you'd begin to think that everything is changing. Well, not everything. Yet again, the highest scoring team this week, Thundabuddies, played against...wait for it...Badazz Bri. Just one week after holding Who Is You to the lowest score in league history (25 pts), Bri returned to their true form in giving up a league-high 160 points. Just in case you're keeping track, the highest scoring team in the league has been Bri's opponent in 5 of 10 weeks.
All in all, it looks like we've got a wild ride ahead of us over the remaining 3 weeks of the regular season. With 11 of 12 teams in the league still in the hunt for a playoff spot, I wouldn't even begin to guess who will be there in the end - because things change.
For the 3rd straight week, my Commish's Picks finished 5-1, leaving me with a 36-24 record on the season.
The Thundabuddies 160 points made it a close call, but my Waiver Wire Team still beat the league with 167 points.
Good luck in week 11!
-- Commish
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