(#3 seed) Standale Big Knox -- Two words strike fear in any team that has to face Jeff in the playoffs: LaDanian Tomlinson. Capable of dropping 150 points in any given week, Jeff has a great supporting cast to LDT, namely Carson Palmer, Hines Ward, Anotnio Gates and Willie Parker. Standale did lose two of their final four games, but the first loss was when Cincinnati, San Diego and Pittsburgh were on the bye in week 10 and the other was a game Jeff would have won if not for a lineup snafu. With all three of his key teams in heated playoff races, expect all of Jeff's top players to play full time and that alone makes Standale the odds-on favorite to take home Patzer Bowl XI.
(#4) Climax 69ers -- Talk about peaking at the right time. After starting 1-5, Climax has reeled off six straight wins (including wins over Grand Rapids, Yukon, Ironwood and a decimated Standale team). Paul's squad has really hit its' stride, scoring over 96 points every week since week 5. Led by Steve Smith, Clinton Portis and Chad Johnson, the only thing lacking is a consistent running game. If that sorts out, this team could win their first championship.
(#2) Yukon Icebreakers -- Probably would have been moved up a slot had Brien Westbrook not gotten hurt. Scored 161 points in a week 12 win over Eugene and always comes to play this time of year. Comes in with a better team on paper than last year's runner-up squad. Has had more "off games" than any the other top contenders this year, but cannot be counted out, especially with Michael Vick, Rudi Johnson, Domenick Davis and Marvin Harrison in the lineup. Tony Gonzalez, a disappointment so far this year, could be the difference in the postseason.
(#1) Grand Rapids Greased Lightning -- May prove to be a victim of its own success. Their top two players, Shaun Alexander and Edgerrin James may see their playing time shrink down the stretch, especially in the important week 15 and 16 games because of their teams' playoff position. The overachieving supporting cast of the Jakes (Plummer and Delhomme) and Willis McGahee, Reggie Wayne, Anquan Boldin and Santana Moss will need to step up for the champs to defend.
(#5) Ironwood Cox -- The tradition of expansion teams making the playoffs continues thanks to Mike. A pleasant surprise this season, the Cox have been easily the most consistent team all year. Save for a 70-point performance in week 13, Ironwood strung together 10 solid weeks and will be a very tough out in the tournament. Ranked this low only because of the individual firepower of the top four teams, Ironwood's team has been just that, a team, all season long. The players to look for are Lamont Jordan, Tom Brady and Torry Holt. A healthy Corey Dillon would make a huge difference.
(#6) Eugene Levies -- The good news is that the Alaskan Assassins cannot eliminate the Levies from the playoffs this year. Ironically, it is those Assassins that give Eugene -- the lone team with a losing record to make this year's playoffs -- hope. The 2000 Assassins team are the only team with a losing regular season record to win a Patzer Bowl. Duane's team started 6-1 but was decimated by injuries. While clearly the longest shot, it does only take three wins to take the Bowl. However, the injuries and benchings have left Steven Jackson and Ashley Lelie, Lee Evans and the Atlanta defense as their top players.
