Highest Scoring Team ($15)
Tuna with Spicy Mustard
Coach Jack (2nd time this season)
199.16 pts
Highest Scoring Player ($7)
McConkey Kong Country
Coach Austin
Puka Nacua - 42.8 pts (Highest point total by an award winner this season, but Puka was actually only the 3rd highest scorer this week. #1 was Josh Allen with 53.4 points and #2 was Jamar Chase with 45.6 points, both contributing to Jack’s ridiculous 200 point game this week; however, you cannot win both weekly awards.)
4 teams clinched last week, and the final 4 clinch this week for our championship playoffs! Let’s break it down.
The final division to be clinched - Boy Scout Cyclones was done so with a loss, or two losses to be precise. The BSC leader - Nelson was up one game on Drew entering the week, and would have the privilege of getting historically whooped on by the Doc 199.16 - 135.29. Despite the loss, Drew, would also lose this week to Austin’s WAR DADDY Puka Nacua’s 40-burger 128-142. Amazingly, despite both BSC teams losing, they would both clinch playoff spots. Nelson, as the de facto BSC division champ, with his fifth division title, most by any coach in the IFL; and Drew, as the PPG-leader for non-clinched teams at 117.8 PPG (7th best this season). For Drew, it’s his 8th playoff appearance in 11 seasons, a league high, and his second PPG-bid.
Jack’s 199.16 points is the fifth highest score in IFL history and came behind the completely mind-boggling performances of Josh Allen’s 53.38 points and Jamar Chase’s 45.6 points. Josh’s performance was second only to Jamar Chase’s 56.65 point game in Week 10, and is the 7th highest individual performance in IFL history. His victory also claims himself the title of regular season champ, which adds a little cash to his pocket, but amazingly is the first time he’s ever had that honor despite his previous two championships.
Despite the win-and-in gambit Qualley faced, and being the 30-point favorite in his matchup with Chris, Qualley not only didn’t cover the spread, he would lose this week to Chris 141-126, which meant that his fate was in other’s hands in regard to his playoff bid. Qualley’s loss opened the door to TC, who was in a dogfight with Brady, and remarkably came down to a single extra point by Cade York in MNF, in which Brady would edge out TC 101.3-100.79. Had TC, won, he would have had the head-to-head tiebreaker over Qualley; HOWEVER, Jesse would win this week 133-124 over yours truly, tying up records with Qualley at 8-6, and unfortunately for Jesse, Qualley did have the head-to-head tiebreaker over Jesse. So if it makes you feel better TC, had you won, it still would have been Qualley, as you three all had a 1-1 record against each other and then Qualley’s superior PPG would have given him the bid. Qualley earns his third consecutive championship playoff bid in his five season tenure.
Despite the loss, TC still had playoff hopes, as he led non-clinched teams in PPG heading into Week 14, and was up 17.41 points on the nearest contender, your Commish’. However; TC’s 100.79 points opened the door for Spawn of Satan and with exactly 100 points entering MNF, the Commish’ was reliant on Chase Brown to get him over the finish line, which he did convincingly, scoring 24.3 points and clinching the final remaining playoff-bid, edging out TC with 115.2 PPG to his 114.8 PPG on the season. It’s the Commish’s 6th playoff appearance, and 2nd consecutive PPG-bid. With all seeds clinched, beginning with the #1 seed, each consecutive division winner got to pick their opening matchup for the championship playoffs and same thing for the top 4 seeds in the consolation bracket. Here's a look at our playoff brackets:
Bounty brawl
The $20 bounty has been claimed, in Chris’ shock upset of Qualley, he claims the $20, for the second year in a row no less! Chris ended Qualley’s 8-game win streak last year to claim the bounty if you recall. Congrats Chris! He’s just the second coach to have won the bounty twice - Jack being the other.
Here’s the trajectory of this year’s $20 bounty:
Nick earns the bounty Week 1 scoring the lowest point total in the league, and loses it to the Commish’ in Week 2.
The Commish’ loses it to Brady in Week 3.
Brady loses is to Nelson in Week 4.
Nelson loses it to Jesse in Week 5.
Jesse’s epic 7-game win streak would have him carry the bounty all the way to this week, week 11, where he would finally lose to the Scallon Express.
Scallon loses it to Qualley in Week 12, who fends off Ewoldt in Week 13, and carried it to the Bounty Brawl in Week 14, between him and Duncan, in which Duncan would win 140.81-126.3 and win the bounty for the season.
A monster week from X-IA has yet another lead switch in the final week, having led all-season long, lost the lead last week, they would regain and finish the season on top as the best division in the IFL for the first time in our 11-season history. They also effectively prevented Papa Jord’s from pulling off the 3-peat, a feat that has yet to have been done. Jack and Ewoldt led the charge in this comeback, scoring the highest and 2nd-highest scores this week by any team. The Cul-de-Sack finish the season as the league’s worst division, which is the first time they have done so in league history. Incredibly, each division is represented equally, as each would claim two playoff berths this season. That’s the first time since we introduced the 8-team format that a division hasn’t claimed 3 playoff berths.
A rare tie in the MNQ pick ‘em question adds a half point wrinkle into the mix, as the consensus this week goes perfect. Jesse regains 2nd place, as we enter playoff pick ‘em, where things will start to heat up with the added bonus points for each correct pick.
