MPL Game Of The Week

Carolyn	v.s.	Henry
4-5	Record	6-3
NA	MPL Top Ten	8
L2	Streak	W1
	Offense
	Defense
	Intangibles
	Coaching
14	GOTW Prediction	35

The Ravens (NFLVixen)

This team has an offense??? Just kidding, just kidding. It's there but it hasn't been consistent enough to win her some of the games that she's capable of winning. Steve McNair is going to have to make the right reads and thread some passes in there to convert on key downs. Jamal Lewis will have to be a workhorse in this one and just continually pound the defense of the Chargers. If he doesn't get at least 100 yards and 25 carries, the Ravens will be in serious trouble. They won't survive if they have to pass all game. Getting an early lead and controlling the clock with the running game should be the focus of Vixen's offensive gameplan. Of course, making a gameplan is easy...the execution is the difficult part. The Ravens will have to rely less on getting the ball to the tight ends. A conscience effort to get the ball into the hands of their WRs...especially deep once in a while. Clayton can get down the field in a hurry so they'd be wise to test it a few times in this one.

Key Offensive Players:

  

Jamal Lewis       Steve McNair

The Ravens defense has given up an average of just under 13 points per game since her week 1 loss to Blu Meanie, I mean Blu Pun. If she could just generate a little more offense, this defense would be more than enough to carry her into the playoffs. But with every "defense wins championships" phrase you hear, there's an accompanying "you can't win if you don't score more points than you're opponent." Ray Lewis is a monster in the middle, the defensive line does an oustanding job of shutting down the opposing run game, Ed Reed lays the wood in the secondary and Chris McAllister shuts down the opposing number 1 WR. Vixen gameplans well on defense but she's going to need to bring out a little something extra this week, especially since Blu hung 31 points on her in their first meeting...the most she's allowed all season. It'll be Mrs. Pun's biggest challenge yet...find a gameplan to stop the one person who knows her entire defensive strategy.

Key Defensive Players:

  

Ray Lewis      Haloti Ngata

The Chargers (Blu Pun)

The Chargers bounced back strong last week as they put up 54 against a tough Dolphins defense...and that's even after the game was called early. Pun did a great job in the first meeting against the Mrs. in week 1. He used LT very well, gaining over 100 yards and scoring 2 touchdowns. The special teams contributed with a score and the receivers made catches when they were needed. He'll have to do more of the same this week as he faces a very tough and much improved Ravens defense. Granted, Pun knows the ins and outs of Vixen's defensive schemes but the personnel of the Ravens still makes it tough to move the ball offensively. Everyone knows that Pun likes to run the ball and use the tight ends. Well he might just want to use those WRs a bit this week to mix it up and keep the Ravens off balance. I dont think that in the end he'll have a hard time putting up enough points to get a win in this one.

Key Offensive Players:

  

LaDainian Tomlinson       Antonio Gates

Pun has to be relieved to get some of his defensive form back this past week after giving up 52 and 42 points in the previous two weeks. The Chargers D can be really strong when it gets early momentum but their weaknesses can really be exploited if a team is able to jump on them quickly. The passing defense is going to be the key in this one. If they aren't able to contain the deep ball and big plays, they'll get themselves into some trouble. McNair put up 315 yards on only 15 completions in the last meeting between these two clubs so that says that the Ravens were able to get enough big plays to stay in the game. Merriman is going to have to be a force as a pass rusher as well as in coverage against those tight ends that Vixen loves to use. Jammer is going to have to step it up this time and not allow himself to get burned as much as he did in the last game between these two. The bend but don't break approach should be sufficient in this game.

Key Defensive Players:

  

Shawne Merriman       Quentin Jammer

Key Matchup:


VS  
Ladanian Tomlinson against Ray Lewis

LT is going to try to run all over this defense...and he should have some success. Pun is very deliberate and stubborn with his running game. The passing attack of the Chargers will help open things up for him in the middle where LT can make his cut to either side of the field. It'll be up to Ray Ray in the middle to get off his block and make the early tackle against the ever elusive LT. Look for Tomlinson to again gain over 100 yards and see the endzone a couple of times in this one.

Outcome: Pun is motivated by a few factors for this game. First, he wants to clinch the divison and a win this week does that. Second, the wife has been talkin some smack this week and Pun has put it out there on the forum that he's going to whoop on her. Last, a loss here means that he could possibly lose the division and miss the playoffs. That was unthinkable just a few weeks ago. If Pun loses 3 in a row, he'll be at home with no shot at the MPL title.

Chargers win this one 35-14

MPL Game Of the Week Season Record on Predictions:   5-2