South Asian Football League :FINALS Preview
Browns vs AK Santali at Eisenhower Football Field
The Browns dominated the South Asian Football season from the very start. Every team in the league noticed that this Browns team was different. They were reinvigorated after a loss to the Bandits last season and they came out more determined than ever to win the illustrious SAFL championship. They won many games in a variety of ways – blowout, close and emotional games.
The league MVP and the leader of the team is Shuman. Congratulations, to Shuman for another outstanding season! The MVP is well deserved. He is one of the most respected Quarter Backs and in our opinion, he is the best QB in the league. One of the aspects that makes him so impressive is that he’s an immobile QB, and yet he rarely ever gets sacked. He also only threw 9 picks compared to his incredible 54 TDs. He makes everyone around him better and that’s the sign of a great QB.
Let’s not leave out the rest of the Browns. League veterans like Ken and Sohel complete this team with great offense and defense. Although, defensively the Browns were at the bottom of the league, they did make big plays when it counted the most. Offensively they finished the season as the league’s most explosive offense. They averaged a whopping 37.5 points a game. Defensively they allowed 28.4 points per game.
AK Santali were the defending 2015 champions. Although they had a very sub-par season, no one had any doubts regarding their ability to make noise in the playoffs. They defeated two very tough teams – Savages and Underdogs. We all knew that they would be the toughest out during the playoffs and with Sims as QB, we got the sense that this team may win it again. AK Santali’s top players include Amneet and Harpal. Both players have a high football IQ and the team in general is very fast on the field. AK Santali’s defense is ranked 6th and they only trailed the Browns defense by 0.4 of a point. Their offense ranked 4th putting up 27 points a game. The Browns and AK Santali played in week 6 and the final score was Browns 41 – AK Santali 34.
It was a very exciting game, but the Browns shredded AK Santali’s defense. Let’s look at matchups and schemes. Both teams have great QB’s, and sub-par defenses. The Browns offense is the biggest difference maker here. If they put up 35-38 points, the Browns will be your 2016 SAFL champions and they will be the winningest team in SAFL history. If AK Santali can bring back their stingy 2015 defense and hold the Browns to 30 points or less, AK Santali will repeat. If AK Santali defeats the Browns, this is by no means a huge upset. Another element to consider for this game is weather. Shu is a solid bad weather QB. The Browns aren’t a speedy team, but they run great routes and have outstanding football IQ. AK Santali is a speedy team and we all know bad weather neutralizes speed. Also, bad weather can heavily impact the delivery of the ball to the receiver.
If the forecast calls for rain and or snow, we would have to put our money on the Browns. AK Santali has been here before and they have the heart of champions. Although they’re big underdogs, we won’t be surprised if they come out and snatch a victory. They know what it takes to compete on the big stage and they were on the same stage a year ago. In order for them to win this game, their defense has to come out sharp. The best possible defense against the Browns is man. If AK Santali Santali elects to go with zone, Shu will pick them apart. AK Santali has the speed and athleticism to match up man to man with the Browns. AK Santali is traditionally a man to man defensive team so we would be surprised if they elect to go zone on this explosive offense. The Browns play two types of defense. 3-2 and 2-3. They don’t have the quickest defenders, but they make big plays when they have to. We can expect AK Santali to utilize skinny and deep post routes to break the zone defense. Sohel has been solid as a middle linebacker so he will be severely tested against a speedy AK Santali team. This is a great matchup against two teams that are very similar. This will be a game for the ages and we expect Shu and Sims to rise to the occasion.
It’s only fitting that these two teams go head to head for the championship considering that both teams have won championships in the past 3 seasons. Here it is…our final prediction of the season! It was a fantastic season and we are looking forward to one of the biggest games in SAFL history!! Browns 36 – AK Santali 28
