Last week in my first attempt at predictions for the ELF, I went an impressive 7-1 in game predictions. The scores were off, but that’s not as important as predicting the winner. I’m back again this week in an attempt to add to my overall record. My only loss came at the hands of picking Milano to beat Barcelona. Let’s see if I can go a perfect 8-0 this week!
Hamburg Sea Devils(0-2) v. Cologne Centurions(1-1)
The Sea Devils might be the best 0-2 team in the league. After running into, what appears to be, an offensive juggernaut in Wroclaw in week one, they were forced to face what might be the best team in the league in the Rhein Fire in week two. That’s a tough opening stretch for the Sea Devils. The good news for Hamburg is that in both games, they were able to keep the games close and competitive. Cologne, on the other hand, opened the season with two straight games against expansion teams coming away with a .500 record. Cologne has struggled a little offensively and in order for them to walk away this week with a win, they’ll need their defense to shut down this Hamburg offense.
Prediction: Cologne’s defense starts strong, falters late. Hamburg 28-13
Barcelona Dragons(2-0) v. Raiders Tirol(2-0)
So far through two weeks, the Barcelona Dragons have one of the best teams in the league. QB Conor Miller has yet to be sacked. Barcelona’s offensive line has been the toughest shell to crack. On the flip side, the Dragons have faced two straight expansion teams, where expansion teams tend to struggle more early in the season. A soft spot for Barcelona has come from their defense: Milano put up 33 points against them last week, Across the field, the Raiders have looked like one of the strongest teams in the league through two weeks. They had an offensive explosion in week one, but they had a much more modest week two on offense, while their defense completely shutdown the Guards. This game is going to come down to which offense continues to remain consistent.
Prediction: Barcelona continues to impress; Strong/McClam duo returns to form. Raiders 34-24
Fehervar Enthroners(0-2) v. Leipzig Kings(1-1)
Last week the Kings were completely outmatched by the surprising Wroclaw Panthers. Meanwhile, the Enthroners continued to struggle on both sides of the ball, as QB Jerod Evans remained out of sync with the offense. This a battle between the two lowest scoring teams in the league and I’m not sure either have the firepower to get out of their slump even facing one another. The Kings might have the edge in this matchup because of their defense, but I’m not exactly sure if that’s an actual advantage or not. Kings QB Kenyatte Allen needs to become a playmaker and take over this game if the Kings want to maintain pace in the Eastern Conference.
Prediction: Enthroners continue to struggle; Kings defense shows up. Leipzig 17-6
Prague Lions(0-2) v. Vienna Vikings(1-0)
For the Prague Lions, it’s been a tough two weeks. The offense is ranked amongst the bottom tier of the league, but they’re consistent. The defense has been shining spot, despite the two losses. QB Shazzon Mumphrey has talent and has proven that he can shine, but he’s been insanely inconsistent. He needs to clean up his mistakes if the Lions want to turn this season around. Unfornately for Prague, they run into the defending champions in Vienna this week. The Vikings had a tough contest last week with the Berlin Thunder, but Berlin is a tougher team than Prague, no offense to the Lions. This could end up being lopsided.
Prediction: Mumphrey struggles with turnovers; Vikings continue to get stronger. Vienna 33-10
Milano Seamen(0-1) v. Stuttgart Surge(1-0)
This game might be one of the toughest to predict. Last week, the Seamen put up an impressive 33 point effort against the equally impressive Dragons team. The hype surrounding the Surge is still buzzing after defeating the upstart Paris Musketeers. The Surge really started slow, but in the second half they made the correct adjustments. The Seamen, on the other hand, did the exact opposite on offense: they started really strong, but faltered a bit in the second half. Meanwhile, their defense has a lot to build on, as they held Barcelona in check for most of the second half. This game is going to come down to QB play.
Prediction: Milano impresses for the second week; Surge hype continues. Stuttgart 27-23
Munich Ravens(0-1) v. Helvetic Guards(0-2)
Another game that is going to tough to predict, the Ravens come off a bye week and draw a matchup with the Helvetic Guards. While the Ravens might have been idle last week, their week one loss was fairly impressive as they were able to keep pace on offense with the Raiders, for two and a half quarters. The defense, primarily the secondary, let the team down as they struggled to contain a great passing attack. Unfortunately for the Guards, their passing attack does not resemble anything that the Raiders bring to the field. The Guards only scored 7 points against the same team that the Ravens put up 38 against. The Guards will need QB Colin Hill to turn his season around this game to win.
Prediction: Hill struggles again; Chad Jeffries starts creating buzz around him. Munich 31-17
Panthers Wroclaw(2-0) v. Berlin Thunder(1-1)
In a HUGE, important early season matchup in the Eastern Conference, the Panthers travel to Berlin in what could be a game between the two top teams in the East. Wroclaw has been lights out on offense, scoring over 30 in both their opening games. Berlin, meanwhile, kept their game close last week against the defending Champions, and beat up on the lowly Enthroners in week one. It’s hard to gauge just how good this Thunder team is and this is a great game for them to test just how good of a team they truly are. The question becomes: does Thunder QB Donovan Isom have the ability to keep pace with Wroclaw QB Matthew Vitale if the game turns into a shootout?
Prediction: Wroclaw continues their offensive dominance; Berlin keeps pace early. Wroclaw 34-27
Paris Musketeers(1-1) v. Rhein Fire(2-0)
Where to start? It’s not going to be the best preview if you’re a Musketeers fan, primarily because they’re completely outmatched in every phase of the game. The Fire remain atop most power rankings, and despite a tough fight from the Sea Devils last week, they came out on top. Paris QB Zach Edwards was sacked SIX times last week, bringing his 2023 total to 14 – it’s been TWO games. Edwards has now been sacked over 100 times in his ELF career. QB Jadrian Clark has been an absolute gem for the Fire and he has the team around him to make a really late run to the championship. This game could get ugly, and fast, for Paris.
Prediction: OL issues continue; Rhein continues to prove their the cream of the crop. Rhein 34-7
There you have it! My week three predictions and previews. Hopefully I can either repeat my performance from week two or draw a perfect rating in week three. Enjoy the games!
~Michael Washington
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