THIS GIVEN SUNDAY: THREE INTO TWO DOESN’T GO
With one week remaining of the 2025 regular season, nothing is decided in the European League of Football’s playoff race, as three teams vie for the two free passes through Wildcard Weekend and four others remain in contention for the postseason spots not reserved for division winners.
The fourth and final division crown was sewn up at the weekend as the Stuttgart Surge beat Cologne to move to 10-2 and out of the reach of nearest challenger Paris with one game to play. The Musketeers, meanwhile, can still clinch a wildcard spot in Vienna this coming Saturday (16th August) — or be overtaken by a once dormant Frankfurt Galaxy team that has now won three games on the bounce, including the only defeat of the Nordic Storm before coming from behind to win in overtime at Prague on Sunday.
That defeat means that, despite being guaranteed to finish with at least a .500 record (and given that they are playing the Helvetic Mercenaries at home on the final weekend, more likely a 7-5 season), the Lions cannot make the postseason based on the strength of victory calculations used a tie-breaker. Similarly, Raiders Tirol’s loss to the Rhein Fire in the weekend finale also put paid to their hopes of prolonging the campaign by at least another week.
The Fire, meanwhile, continue the end-of-season resurgence seemingly sparked by their agonising defeat in Copenhagen. Three wins in a row have moved the reigning champions to 7-4, the same as Paris, with the revenge game against the Storm to come in Germany this weekend. Victory there, as hard-fought as it is likely to be, should secure Rhein’s place in the playoffs, but the Madrid Bravos, also 7-4 after going to down to the Ravens in Munich, will be keeping a watching brief as Week 14 promises to be a rollercoaster. The Spanish team go up against Frankfurt in what could be a win-and-in scenario, with Paris due to visit the current #1 seed Vienna Vikings — who eliminated the Wroclaw Panthers — and Rhein hosting Nordic. Munich, who presently hold the #2 seed ahead of the similarly-placed 11-1 Storm on strength of victory, travel to Poland for their final game knowing that nothing is certain, especially with Stuttgart going to Hungary to face the Fehérvár Enthroners.
The Magyars were this week’s feelgood story as they finally escaped the possibility of a winless season. Moreover, their success came in the closest game of Saturday’s slate as they triumphed over the Berlin Thunder in overtime to record a first win since beating the Milano Seamen midway through last season. Fehérvár had to dig deep, however, after seeing an early nine-point advantage erased as Berlin leapt out to a 28-16 lead in the second half. With the scores tied at 31-31 thanks to a last-gasp two-point conversion for the home side, it became a tale of two kicking units, with Berlin squandering the opportunity to win when an errant snap undid a three-point attempt on the opening drive of the extra period. Handed their chance, the Enthroners made no mistake, with Cameron Gillis splitting the uprights amid much jubilation.
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WEEK 13 SCORES
09.08.2025
Berlin Thunder 31 @ 34 Fehérvár Enthroners (OT)
Stuttgart Surge 44 @ 3 Cologne Centurions
Helvetic Mercenaries 0 @ 77 Paris Musketeers
Wroclaw Panthers 36 @ 50 Vienna Vikings
10.08.2025
Frankfurt Galaxy 28 @ 21 Prague Lions (OT)
Hamburg Sea Devils 7 @ 40 Nordic Storm
Madrid Bravos 27 @ 30 Munich Ravens
Raiders Tirol 24 @ 34 Rhein Fire
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Game of the Week:
Madrid Bravos 27 @ 30 Munich Ravens
Had the result been reversed, the headlines would rightly have been reserved for Bravos quarterback Reid Sinnett, who rewrote the ELF annals by surpassing Jadrian Clark’s record of 3,586 passing yards and kept himself neck-and-neck with the Storm QB in terms of most touchdown tosses this season by moving to 44. While Sinnett’s QB rating of 137 is head and shoulders above the competition this year, he still has some way to go to overhaul Clark’s 53 touchdowns from that 2023 MVP campaign.
It was all in a losing cause, however, and one that leaves Madrid fighting for their postseason dream against fellow contender Frankfurt in Week 14, as the home side fought back in a final quarter where erstwhile defensive dominance went out the window. Trailing by five points after the two-minute warning, Ravens QB Russell Tabor turned the game back to the side wearing an eye-catching blue-and-white check ensemble in honour of ‘Hoamcoming’ by scoring both the go-ahead touchdown and the subsequent two-point conversion to ensure Madrid needed a field goal to remain in the frame. Despite Sinnett’s best efforts, the Bravos were left needing to convert from 56 yards and, when the kick went wide, that was all she wrote.
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MVPs of the Week
Brett Pullman (Fehérvár Enthroners)
He may only have been in town for a matter of weeks, following the injury to fellow American Brock Domann and continuing development of ‘homegrown’ backup Máté Hegedüs, but Pullman might find it easier to get a table at any restaurant after leading the Enthroners to their first win in 385 days. Having established an early nine-point lead, the Hungarian side were overhauled by their visitors from Berlin, leaving Pullman to weave some magic, first to put the Enthroners in position to tie the game on the final drive and then, after the Thunder had missed the chance to add three points in overtime, drive Fehérvár into range for Cameron Gillis to cement the win. Pullman finished with numbers of 25/50 for 245 yards and two touchdowns through the air, as well as a team-leading 42 yards and another score on the ground.
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UPS
Harlan Kwofie (Rhein Fire)
Having gone into the Week 12 bye on the back of a six-touchdown showing against Berlin, Kwofie continued to make a belated push for seasonal honours with another three scores in a 178-yard performance against Tirol.
Bijon Harris (Frankfurt Galaxy)
While quarterback Jameson Wang again deserved the plaudits for bringing Frankfurt back into the game and then tying it up with just second left in Prague. It was recently-added defensive back Harris who sealed the win in overtime by picking off Lions QB Javarian Smith, in the process keeping the Galaxy in the playoff hunt.
Yannick Mayr (Vienna Vikings)
He may not have contributed more than 56 yards receiving against Wroclaw, but Mayr did show off another facet of his game by taking a pitch from QB Ben Holmes and then floating a 52-yard pass downfield to the same player as Vienna dug deep into the box of tricks.
DOWNS
Ferras El-Hendi (Berlin Thunder)
Thrust into the fire by starting QB Jakeb Sullivan’s absence, El-Hendi was far from the reason the Thunder lost to Fehérvár, but the homegrown’s number paled against the production usually served up by the American/
Helvetic Mercenaries defense
While their offense did little to help them out with homegrowns Ismael Schmid and Lenny Schild toiling under center while regular QB Keegan McCormick played on the opposite side of the ball, the Mercenaries D were late to the party in Paris, shipping 34 points in the opening quarter and another 29 in the second. Whatever was in their half-time oranges, they should take it before kickoff in their final game of the season as just 14 points were added to the Musketeers total after the break.
Prague Lions fans
The dream is over. Having been a no more than a one-win team through their first two ELF campaigns, the Lions were reborn in 2025 and entered the penultimate week of the regular season still harbouring hopes of a playoff spot. Unfortunately, injuries to their two leading rushers, plus some dynamic opposition from the Frankfurt Galaxy, meant that it was not to be – this year at least.
Quy Khong (Helvetic Mercenaries)
The German-born wide receiver was named as the starter for the Mercenaries ahead of their trip to Paris, but lasted exactly one play before being injured while fumbling the ball over to the opposition. It didn’t get any better for the Swiss side.
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SEEN AND HEARD
- “A good day. We did our work today. Now we move on. We have to step up our game in the coming days to make sure we’re doing the same against Nordic Storm.”
Rhein Fire WR Harlan Kwofie - “Our fans are unique in this league. They give us a boost, bring energy, and I know they can throw our opponents off their game.”
Rhein Fire DB Chauncey Moore
- “It was a tough game today; Rhein Fire played incredibly well on offense. It hurts a lot that we’re missing the playoffs—especially because it was so close. We still have one game left and hope a lot of fans come to the stadium.”
Raiders Tirol WR Benedikt Radauer
- “Today’s game was very important for us. We showed that we have many good players across our roster. We were also able to rest a few players, which is important because we have a tough game in Hungary next week and we need all our strength for that. Leonell Fritzen deserves big praise for doing a great job as quarterback today.”
Stuttgart Surge HC Jordan Neuman
- “Five weeks ago, we wouldn’t have won this game. The vibe in the team is clearly noticeable thanks to the new additions; everyone inspires each other positively and carries them along!”
Frankfurt Galaxy sporting director Thomas Kösling
- “From the beginning, we knew it was going to be a tough battle. We moved the ball effectively on offense, but the details decided the outcome. Our opponents made fewer mistakes in key moments, which allowed them to secure the win.”
Wroclaw Panthers OL Jakub Gajewski
- “The first half was very tough for us. The Vikings dictated the pace of the game, and we made mistakes that cost us points. But in the second half, we came out with renewed energy. We gained confidence, found our rhythm, and finally made things difficult for the Vikings’ offense. We’re happy we were able to bounce back after a poor start and prove we can compete with the best.”
Wroclaw Panthers S Szymon Romanowski