NFC Semifinals Preview

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And then there were four. The semifinals pit the top four seeds against each other in a battle that will send the winners to the OIL Bowl. Three of the four have been to an OIL Bowl before, but only Bruesch has brought home the coveted Harrington Trophy (twice). And it was Bruesch who punched his ticket to the semifinals first, blowing out Pyle by roughly 40 points. Things were a bit more suspenseful for Henderson, as he beat Rogers by less than a point. But, unlike in most things, in fantasy football, it's not the journey; it's the destination. 

First-round analysis and semifinal previews after the jump.

First Round: DARC NARCS over AMMODOGS

Rogers was the favorite all season to win the NFC but his team tanked when it counted most. Of course, Henderson only won by less than a point, so Rogers still had a shot at it. But losing Tyler Eifert to injury in the first half doomed the AMMODOGS. Congrats to them for a heck of a season and to the NARCS for persevering after losing Jamaal Charles and Mark Ingram to IR this season (having Devonta Freeman and David Johnson helped cushion the blow).

First Round: SoonerJack over Lucky Enuf

Lucky Enuf QB Andy Dalton broke his thumb on the first series of the playoff matchup against SoonerJack (Credit: /u/spuddy0108).

Although Pyle got blown out by Bruesch, we should point out that he lost his QB on the very first series. Lucky Enuf QB Andy Dalton threw an interception and, while trying to make the tackle, broke his thumb. He finished with 0.95 points and it was clear Pyle was done for.

Pyle would have needed roughly 40 points from Dalton to beat Bruesch, but that's always a possibility. We'll never know if Dalton could have made the difference, but we do know that the rest of the Lucky Enuf roster let Pyle down big-time. It was a tough defeat after making the playoffs for the first time since 2010. But Pyle will be back. He's a two-time champion and constant threat to win this league. Week 14 just wasn't his week. Congratulations to Bruesch on the victory. SoonerJack​ has been on a tear lately and should not be discounted in the hunt for the Harrington.

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Semifinal Previews

This should be a fun week. We've got two original OILers in Finch and Leal. All four guys were on the 2006 SECFOR mission. They're all great guys to have in the league and as brothers-in-arms. But only one team can win it all. This week will narrow the field to two. Here's the Commissioner's take on week 15.

Semifinal Number One:
​#4 DARC NARCS (10-4) at ​#1 Hard Targets (11-2)

This is not the matchup I expected. I fully believed Rogers's AMMODOGS would roll over Henderson and the DARC NARCS. The 'DOGS  were the most dominant team all season, even if their record didn't reflect it. Plus, the NARCS were dealing with the week 14 loss of Mark Ingram (after losing Jamaal Charles to IR earlier in the season). But Henderson's team rose to the occasion and squeaked by Rogers in a game decided by less than a point. Now they face the Hard Targets in the semifinals for the second year in a row. Finch won last season's semifinal matchup 149.95-80.20. I think they'll win this one too, but not by quite as many points this time. 

DARC NARCS QB Cam Newton (Credit: Hunter Quinn)

Hard Targets TE Gary Barnidge (Credit: /u/spuddy0108)

First Meeting:
​Hard Targets Victory (Week Five)

What's Changed Since the First Matchup

Hard Targets: Traded away Peyton Manning for Alshon Jeffery; added QB Drew Brees and WR Stefon Diggs; Sammy Watkins returned from his bye week.

DARC NARCS: Lost Jamaal Charles and Mark Ingram to IR; Cam Newton returned from his bye week.
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Advantage: Finch.

Semifinal Number Two:
​#3 SoonerJack (10-4) at #2 Norman Nobodies (10-3)

The Nobodies were thisclose to missing out on a first-round bye, but they persevered and earned that reward. It's a good thing, too, because, if not, they would have lost to each of the four first-round teams. SoonerJack would have been the team that snuck into that first-round bye had Leal faltered, but it doesn't matter now: he obliterated Pyle en route to a semifinals berth anyway. Based on the projections, this one is too close to call. But Bruesch has been more dominant as of late, so I'm going to predict a SoonerJack return to the OIL Bowl. I'll be rooting for Leal (sorry, Jack) though, since he has yet to win an OIL Bowl while Bruesch has won two (I guess you could say I'm kind of a "redistribution of playoff wealth" kind of guy).

SoonerJack WR Doug Baldwin has been red-hot (Credit: /u/spuddy0108).

Nobodies QB Tom Brady has been waiting for the playoffs all season (Credit: /u/spuddy0108).

First Meeting:
​Norman Nobodies Victory (Week 12)

What's Changed Since the First Matchup

Nothing significant. These teams met just three weeks ago for the first time. Their rosters now are substantially the same as they were in week 12.
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Advantage: ​Bruesch, but only because Doug Baldwin has averaged 32.36 points since Bruesch left him on the bench in week 12. He'll start this week and that improves SoonerJack's lineup from just a few weeks ago.

Underrated Storyline: QB Battles

Of the four remaining QBs, only one has an OIL Bowl ring. That would be Hard Targets QB Drew Brees (although he won it with SoonerJack in 2011)*. Tom Brady, Eli Manning, and Cam Newton are each aiming for their first OIL Bowl championship (Brady reached the championship in 2013 but lost to Peyton Manning and the Dogs of War).

*OIL Bowl-winning QBs are: Drew Brees (2011); Teddy Bridgewater (2014); Jay Cutler (2007); Peyton Manning (2006; 2013-2014); Carson Palmer (2009); Aaron Rodgers (2008); Mike Vick (2010).