AFC: Zerger's Week Five Preview

By Redlegs ​Manager Lance Zerger

Welcome to the Week Five preview for the AFC. There have been some major changes in the league standings, thanks to the Hooligans going on the road and beating the Brewmasters (which, you'll remember, I predicted last week). Hooligans manager was later  heard referring to the opposition as the Spewmasters after giving up a comfortable lead on Monday night. The trash talk from the Brewmasters was at a minimum this week as they might have been choking on Humble Pie. Humble is not a word you can use to describe the Negligent Discharges this week, as they not only beat my Redlegs; they sent me vulgar videos to rub it in.

The War Pony has gotten back on track by winning their last two games. The Rebel Alliance busted into the win column this week leaving the AFC with only one winless team (the Cocks). Only one game was decided by less than 10 points while a few matchups were decided by over 20 points. With bye weeks coming up, it will be interesting to see how managers fill gaps in their lineups as we get to the middle of the season. The standings are posted below, it should be noted that the top four spots are secured by teams that have an incredible 3-1 record, while teams five through 11 are tied, only separated by points. This could be interesting as it gets closer to the playoff push.  

Sawtooths vs. Brewmasters

This matchup has the Sawtooths taking on the Brewmasters. The Brewmasters will make an interesting roster update this week as Dolphins QB Ryan Tannehill is on his bye week, the Brewmasters do not have a back up QB on their roster. The Sawtooths will have one of their starting receivers on his bye week but should have no problem filling the gaps. I believe the Sawtooths will win this game, depending on who the Brewmasters pick up for their QB option. However, this game will be a close one that could come down to roster moves and eventually a hidden gem that has a huge breakout this week.

​Hooligans vs. Doughboys

The Doughboys have really turned things around in the last few weeks and will look to continue to do the same. The Hooligans are over-matched in this game and will fall to 2-3 on the season. The Hooligans might look at starting Tom Brady against a Cowboys defense that has been beaten through the air the last few games. The Vegas bookies have the Doughboys as a 28-point favorite. I do not think the'll win by that much, but the ​Doughboys will win this game outright.

​Mutinous Apes vs. Cocks

The one thing about this week that is intriguing is that the uniforms along with the mascots are enough to make liberals puke. The gun-toting Mutinous Apes will be hunting Cocks this weekend. Will the Peacocks escape from the grasp of the Apes?  This game will be close, with the Apes having to figure out a way to replace Adrian Peterson this week. The Cocks open up as a five-point favorite. I believe the Cocks win this game; this is my pick of the week. The Cocks will bust into the win column and will be able to celebrate after the early season has not gone their way.

Rebel Alliance vs. Hillier

Early indicators of this game show that the Rebel Alliance is on their way to winning their second game of the season. They open up as an eight-point favorite but Hillier still has to plug a hole at the kicker position( which could narrow the gap). I for one do not want to be on record picking this game, But Hillier has a way of getting the W's, while the Rebel Alliance (in their short OIL tenure) has came up short three times. However, a loss here could really hurt Hillier's playoff chances as they need to take advantage of beating teams that have a worse record than them. 

(As a side note, this is my Uniform Matchup of the week.  I like the simple designs along with the colors.)

Negligent Discharges vs. Warm Bodies

The Negligent Discharges beat one of their rivals last week; hats off to them for backing up their trash talk. The Warm Bodies come in with a 3-1 record for the season. There is nothing more that this writer would like than to see the Negligent Discharges get beat. I hope they don't score a single point . . . that their virtual plane crashes on the way to the game. But the Warm Bodies have a whopping nine players unable to play in this game due to byes and injuries. It would take a miracle for any GM, no matter their stature, to overcome these odds. The Discharges win this game easily. This is my lock of the week . . . unless, you know, the Discharges lose control of that plane.

Vultures vs. Redlegs

As if things could not get worse for the Redlegs, this will be their fifth game against a team with a winning record or currently in serious contention for a playoff spot. They've dropped their last two games, the last game put up a meager 105 points while the Vultures scored 140. But I think the Redlegs might surprise some people down the stretch as a few of their players are coming off of suspension and/or injury. They did lose Lance Dunbar to a season-ending injury this week. The Vultures opened up as a six-point favorite but I only expect that number to grow as we get deeper in the week. The Vultures win this one.

​War Pony vs. Steel Reign

The War Pony will have to do some plug-and-play with their roster this week, as they won last week while keeping a position player on the bench for undisclosed team reasons. Steel Reign has done really well for themselves this year but I believe that the Jimmy V Foundation beats Fitzgerald this week. They'll continue to assert themselves as the playoff race heats up. War Pony has a lot of weapons but going on the road to dethrone Steel Reign at their place is not an easy thing to do. This matchup is the most intriguing of the week. The winner could really distant themselves from the pack early on in both groups of standings: the 3-1 pack and the 2-2 pack. I think War Pony gets it done here.

I hope everyone is having a good week so far, remember to check on each other and ensure that everyone is doing well. In the AFC message boards, there have been several posts that contain contact information so that people can reach out and banter about trades or winning/losing games. Also, there is another message posted about planning next years draft. Good luck to everyone this week except the Rebel Alliance and the Discharges.