Week 1 Wrap Up - The Des Moines spent about 3 quarters battling the St. Paul Pioneers before breaking open and sealing a crucial victory. The Sioux City Stampede took the Sioux Falls Stallions to the edge and back but came up short on the road. The Iowa Sharks jump to a 1 - 0 start on the season against the North Iowa Knights. The Lincoln Renegades shook off the preseason blues with a quality win over the Quad City Wolfpack. The Midwest Titans and Heartland falcons both had a bye week. 

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As of 05/09/14 my record is

98 – 21

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The Sioux Falls Stallions take a Week 2 breather - Bye Week

 

The Midwest Titans @  The North Iowa Knights - Both teams have a game under their belt[Titans played in the preseason] and should be ready to roll. The Titan's win against the North Iowa Knighs will be absolute from start to finish. 

 

The Des Moines Blaze vs The Iowa Sharks - Everything about his match-up has "Trap Game" written all over it. The Iowa Sharks are coming off a confidence boosting win and the Des Moines Blaze exhausted almost everything they had in their week 1 Victory. The Iowa Sharks were the last team to beat the Blaze in a regular season game, however that win is a distant memory and the Des Moines produce a statement win. 

 

***Upset Alert***

Lincoln vs. Omaha is always a classic match up. Rewind back to the 2013 season and the Nebraska Renegades didn't pull away from the Heartland Falcons until the end of the 1st Half. Since the 2013 season both teams have expanded,  literallly grabbing recruits from the back yards of their rivals. The Heartland Falcons recruited players with recent Arena football experience and talent, former college players and tried to unify the city as "the  Omaha minor league team" once and for all.  Take a trip down I-80 and the Nebraska Renegades added MFA experience. Players who have earned  All-MFA status time and time again and work well with each other. Essentially they've grown a team that doesn't need time to gel. The premier feature of the Heartland Falcons will be their running game. Running back Tonio Johnson is the real deal and a projected All-MFA starter. If the falcons can provide a couple key blocks and he gets into open space it could be a long day. 

 

The Lincoln Renegades have so many weapons spread throughout the field on offense and defense. Once Quarterback Jace Wicks gets into rythm, settles into a pocket and starts slinging the ball around he has the potential to put up 300 yards passing. The Renegade defensive line will play the biggest role all game and if they can get to the Falcon's quarterback it will create a domino effect of chaos. 

 

So here it is. . . I like the turn around the Falcons have made. On paper this could go either way and 1 game will not  shape either teams whole season. The Nebraska Renegades possess a certain "on the field Savagery" that will carry them to 2 - 0.

 

***Game of the Week***

This game of the week features our newest expansion teams. Both head into week 2 with an 0 - 1 record but that should be taken with a grain of salt. The Sioux City Stampede proved they're no push over team and lost the game to the Stallions in the closing minutes within the redzone. Losing 25 - 17 in Sioux Falls isn't a bad situation. Put into perspective in 2013 the Stallions average margin of victory at home was 33 points. The Stampede have a large opportunity in front of them. I hate to jump the gun but it happened in 2012 and in 2013. Week 2 plays a small part in shaping the play-offs because down the stretch a head to head win can be worth its weight in gold. The Stampede need to lock in and play disciplined football. If they can limit turn overs and play with intensity they could win. 

 

The Quad City Wolfpack are exponentially better playing at home than on the road. The Wolfpack are known for their size on both sides of the line. They're a solid team with high expectations. This needs to be the breakout game for the Wolfpack. This is a chance for emerging stars to reveal themselves and put everyone on notice. It really boils down to a must win in the home opener.

 

So here it is... There will be adversity and neither team will coast to a vicotry. A momentum switch helps the Wolfpack grasp redemption and a homefield win. The Stampede will just have to hang tough but their week is coming