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**REGULAR SEASON** **MFLA 2001 PLAYOFFS** AFC Wild Card Game NFC Wild Card Game AFC Conference Playoffs NFC Conference Playoffs AFC Conference Championship NFC Conference Championship MFLA SUPER BOWL III
MFLA Week Six Offensive MFLA Week Six Defensive 6 Sacks
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MFLA Week Six Tampa Bay 27, Minnesota 21 OT
Brian Smith's Buccaneers defense comes through in the clutch to keep DMAN's Vikings winless St. Louis, Washington, Green Bay, and Denver improve records |
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February 24, 2001 - Los Angeles MFLA Week Six consisted primarily of games between rivals in the same Conference and/or Division. There were at least two contests that weren't decided until the last few minutes of the game. The most exciting contest of Week Six belonged to the NFC battle between the only two teams in The MFLA without a victory under their belts: Brian Smith's MFLA Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who entered Week Six with an 0-4 record, and DeMarrio "DMAN" Gray's MFLA Minnesota Vikings, who entered Week Six with an 0-5 record. It was Smith's Buccaneers that won the battle of the winless teams, 27-21, in Overtime. It was the first Overtime game of the MFLA 2001 Regular Season. Because of this, this game was selected as the Week Six "Game Of The Week." In other games, Min "Slayer" Robertson won his fifth game in six tries, as his MFLA St. Louis Rams scored a 28-24 victory over Paul "Sweetness" Neve's MFLA Detroit Lions; Defending MFLA Super Bowl Champion Jason Lewis, and his MFLA Green Bay Packers, won their fourth consecutive game when they defeated NFC South Division rival, Tim "The Bevv" Beverly's MFLA Baltimore Ravens, 45-21; Fred "King Mur" Castillo's MFLA Denver Broncos exploded offensively for 59 points in a very convincing 59-7 victory over Eric "Skew" Askew's MFLA Tennessee Titans; Kevin "K-Ham" Ham's MFLA New England Patriots remained undefeated with a 78-0 win over Jeremy "Jerm Dog" Gardner's MFLA Jacksonville Jaguars; And in the only Inter-Conference match-up of Week Six, Tom Bout's MFLA Washington Redskins defeated Craig DeGraff's MFLA New York Jets 28-17. It would be an understatement to say that DMAN's MFLA teams have experienced some tough losses, and this is just another one added to the list. The Vikings were up by as much as 21-7 early in the 4th Quarter, before Smith's Buccaneers came back to win. This marked the third time that a Gray coached team has given up a 14-point lead in an MFLA contest, and second time that they've given up the same margin in the 4th Quarter. Last season, Gray's Dolphins were leading Jeremy "Jerm Dog" Gardner's Oakland Raiders 14-0 at the beginning of the final frame, before losing 24-14. Also last season, Gray's Dolphins led Craig Young's Vikings 21-7 in the 2nd Quarter before losing 28-24. Given that unfortunate past, this one surely had to hurt. It was Minnesota that struck first, when Vikings QB Troy Aikman led his offensive teammates downfield in the 1st Quarter. After a mix of passing plays and running plays, Aikman found WR Cris Carter open for an 18-yard touchdown reception. The Vikings led 7-0. The Vikings defense was able to keep the Buccaneers scoreless the remainder of the Quarter. |
It wasn't until the middle of the 2nd Quarter when Smith's Buccaneers finally got on the scoreboard. Bucs QB Donovan McNabb led his troops downfield. WR Keyshawn Johnson was an integral part of the offense throughout the game, but it was players such as WR Jacquez Green that helped the Bucs earn their first win of the season. His 51-yard touchdown reception from McNabb tied the score at 7-7. But DMAN's Vikings took the lead again before the Halftime break. Aikman led the Vikings offense downfield with under two-and-a-half minutes remaining in the Quarter, and it was a one-yard run by Aikman himself that gave the Vikings a 14-7 Halftime lead. The 3rd Quarter ended up being a great defensive battle between the two teams. Neither team was able to get on the scoreboard. Buccaneers DE Chidi Ahanotu had an outstanding game with six sacks in the game, and LB Derrick Brooks also had one sack in the contest. And it was the Bucs defense that proved to be the difference in the 4th Quarter. The Vikings scored first in the final Quarter of Regulation, as FB Chris Palmer caught a two-yard touchdown reception to give the Vikings a seemingly commanding 21-7. But that lead evaporated quickly as the Tampa Bay offense came alive. McNabb led his offensive teammates downfield in the middle of the Quarter, and it was a one-yard run by HB Warrick Dunn that cut the Vikings lead to 21-14. Later, after a crucial Tampa Bay stop, the Bucs went downfield again, and this time, it was ace receiver Johnson that caught a 37-yard strike from McNabb to tie the score at 21-21. Even though Tampa Bay's offense came alive, it was actually the defense that won the game. Aikman led the offense into Bucs territory, and could have conceivably been in position to have Kicker Gary Anderson kick a field goal that was within his range. But no sooner than the Vikings offense got down near the Bucs 30-yard line, Ahanotu came through with a clutch performance. Aikman ended up getting sacked three consecutive times near the end of Regulation to knock them out of field goal range. At least two of those sacks were by Ahanotu. Tampa Bay was unable to score after that, but they did manage to send the game into Overtime. In the Overtime period, it was DB Brian Kelly that was the hero. In addition to one sack himself, Kelly intercepted an errant pass by Aikman in Overtime, and raced 66 yards with the stolen pass into the endzone. And that was the game. Smith's Bucs play host to Lewis' Packers in Week Seven, and Gray's Vikings visit Bout's Redksins.
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In Other MFLA Action. . . St. Louis 28, Detroit 24
WR Az-Zahir Hakim caught only one pass in the game, but luckily for the Rams, his one reception was the most important one of the game. Hakim's 58-yard touchdown reception from QB Kurt Warner in the middle of the 4th Quarter proved to be the difference in this closely contested NFC Conference match-up of Division Leaders. Warner finished with 188 yards passing and two touchdowns, while HB Marshall Faulk had 50 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Lions WR Marvin Harrison had 132 yards and one touchdown, and QB Charlie Batch threw for 22 yards and three touchdowns in a losing effort. Lions SS Kurt Schulz had two interceptions to lead the Lions defense.
Washington 28, New York Jets 17
Redskins QB Brad Johnson threw for 257 yards and four touchdowns to lead Washington to their second victory of the season. WR Marcus Robinson had 6 receptions for 161 yards receiving, and two touchdowns. Defensively, DE Bruce Smith had four sacks, and DT Dan Wilkinson added three sacks. Jets QB Vinny Testaverde threw for 207 yards and one touchdown, but was intercepted twice and sacked six times before being replaced by backup QB Ray Lucas. WR Wayne Chrebet had 60 yards receiving and one touchdown in a losing effort. LB Mo Lewis had two sacks to lead the Jets defense.
Green Bay 45, Baltimore 21
The Packers defense tied an MFLA record for most interceptions by a team in a single game. Green Bay intercepted Baltimore QB Peyton Manning nine times, to tie the 2000 MFLA Patriots for the most team picks in a contest. QB Brett Favre threw for 132 yards and two touchdowns, and HB Dorsey Levins ran for another 77 yards and two touchdowns. FS Brock Marion had three interceptions, while CB Mike McKenzie also had three picks. DB Antuan Edwards had three sacks. SS LeRoy Butler had two interceptions, including one that was returned 55 yards for a touchdown. QB Peyton Manning threw for 256 yards and three touchdowns, but was sacked six times.
Denver 59, Tennessee 7
Broncos WR, and League Offensive MVP candidate Joey Galloway had another outstanding game, with 239 yards receiving and three touchdowns to lead the Broncos to their fourth victory in five games. QB Trent Green had 326 yards passing and four touchdowns. HB Terrell Davis had 81 yards rushing to add to the offensive attack. Defensively, LB Chad Brown had three sacks, and CBs Deltha O'Neal and Ray Crockett had two interceptions each. Titans QB Steve McNair threw for 278 yards, but was intercepted seven times and sacked six times. TE Frank Wycheck finished with 94 yards receiving and one touchdown in a losing effort.
New England 78, Jacksonville 0
The Patriots defense set a new MFLA record for least passing yards allowed in a game on their way to their fifth consecutive win. New England held the Jaguars offense to 66 yards passing, breaking the old record held by DeMarrio Gray's MFLA '99 S.F. 49ers (71 yards). The defense intercepted Jaguars QB four times, and sacked him seven times. DE Willie McGinest recorded four sacks. Patriots HB Corey Dillon had 127 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Jaguars LB Lonnie Marts had one sack and one interception in a losing effort.
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