FIRE CAN’T FLINCH IN BATTLE FOR ELF PLAYOFFS
The Rhein Fire might be double reigning champions of the European League of Football, but need to remain undefeated in their final three games to ensure a chance to repeat again.
After five weeks of long overnight bus rides, ferry crossings, hotel stays and flights, the Fire finally get to stay home for their clash with the Berlin Thunder this weekend, hosting the team from the capital at Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena in the first of three consecutive in Duisburg that could determine their fate for the season. The ELF playoff race is tight right now, and the Fire cannot afford a loss in the battle for a wildcard spot — the most they can hope for following Nordic Storm’s confirmation as North Division champions during the week. Four other teams — Raiders Tirol, Paris Musketeers, Wroclaw Panthers and Prague Lions — have a similar record of five wins and four losses but, thanks to the tiebreak rules, Rhein’s campaign would continue based on the current standings.
With last week’s 25-13 victory over the Hamburg Sea Devils now in the rearview, the fact that all three games on the run-in take place at home comes at just the right time for Fire head coach Richard Kent.
“It’s been so long since we were there, but now we’re back — back home and back in our rhythm,” the American said. “We’re thrilled to be back, to see our fans — and hopefully celebrate another victory with them. Our fans are amazing and travel with us to away games. It’s fantastic for the players to see that, to feel the energy of the fans. We all appreciate it very much,”
Berlin currently sit third in the Northern Conference with a record of three wins and six losses, but last weekend’s performance against the Storm suggests that they will be up for a fight against the Fire. Rhein won the first leg in Berlin at the end of June by 44-7, but that game is nothing like the upcoming clash, most notably because Thunder quarterback Jakeb Sullivan will be back in action this time around having missed the first leg due to injury. Although the Fire are unbeaten in eighth tilts against Sullivan-led teams, no one on the roster is taking anything for granted as they look to tighten up on their own game.
“That’s the human factor in football,” OC Fred Armstrong noted. “We’re working on it and paying more attention to the finer details to become even better at securing the ball.”
Proper ball protection is also the goal for Kent in the aftermath of the Hamburg game.
“When you’re playing against good opponents and you lose the ball, things get closer than they need to be,” he grimaced. “The most important thing is, and remains, to protect the ball.”
Every game is now a playoff game for the reigning champions, beginning with Sunday’s ‘Salute to the Service’ celebration, where the national anthem will be accompanied by a live link to the 22nd Contingent of the German Armed Forces, currently stationed in Iraq.
Teamwork and the voval support of the travelling Fire fans resulted in last week’s away victory over the Sea Devils, but only after a flurry of turnovers on both sides initially frayed the nerves of spectators. The first touchdown of the day didn’t come until the second quarter, when Chad Jeffries found wide receiver Mark Pope from three yards out to give Rhein a 6-0 lead after Eritros Haggi’s extra-point attempt failed.
Hamburg, who had already put in a remarkable performance in its home game against the Storm the previous week, responded quickly, prompted by a long kickoff return from Nazir Streater that established possession in the Fire half and ending in the end zone just three plays later as Micah Leon threw the ball 40 yards into Terryon Robinson’s waiting arms. The potential — and potential problems — of Rhein’s offense were both demonstrated in the following drive, as Jeffries moved the Fire from their own 20 to the opponent’s one-yard line, only for Pope to lose the ball after a ten-yard catch, allowing Hamburg’s Roedion Henrique to return it back into the Fire half.
Aided by a pass interference penalty against Rhein’s pass defense, the Sea Devils took the lead before half-time with Robinson’s, this time while filling in for the injured Leon at quarterback. Sensing a crack in their opponent’s resilience, however, the Fire got off to a perfect start in the third quarter as Tony Anderson intercepted Robinson deep in Hamburg’s half, and the offense took advantage with Jeffries, under pressure, finding T.J. Alexander to bring the team’s within a point.
Hamburg’s offensive options were severely limited without a real playmaker, and any chance they had of pulling out another lead all too often disappeared in the red zone. With the ball back in his hands, Jeffries went to work, engineering a long drive that ended with running back Jonathan Scott taking a reception seven yards down the left side for a touchdown. This time the extra point went over and the Fire led 19-13. Hamburg refused to give up, mainly because their special teams again put them in promising field positions, but the Sea Devils were unable to capitalise and Harlan Kwofie capped off his Sunday afternoon with a 59-yard touchdown catch just before the end to salt the game away for the visitors.
“I think we still have a lot of adjustments to make,” Kwofie commented. “There were too many mistakes in the first half and we need to finish the offenses better. We need to keep pushing in practice so that games like these don’t slip away from us. In the playoffs, we have to finish.”