ELF: Paris Musketeers host Munich Ravens in matchup of first-time playoff teams

On Saturday, the Munich Ravens and Paris Musketeers will each play their first European League of Football playoff game in team history when they face off in France.

After a 6-6 season in their first season of 2023, the Musketeers were pegged as a team that could make a big jump in 2024.  And they did not disappoint, as they finished the season 10-2 with their only losses coming against the defending champion Rhein Fire.  The Musketeers have a balanced offense, ranking highly in the league in terms of rushing yards and passing yards.  

Their quarterback is Zach Edwards, an ELF veteran who finished second in the league in passing yards with 3,057, while also ranking sixth in the league in rushing yards with 792.  Chris Voumbo and Jason Aguemon are a solid running back duo, while Austin Mitchell is one of the league’s best receivers.  The Musketeers are loaded with talented players on the defensive side of the ball as well.

 

As for Munich, they have won seven straight games after beginning the season 2-3.  Like Paris, they missed the playoffs in their first season of 2023, but have lived up to lofty expectations in year 2 to earn a wild card berth.  The biggest knock on the Ravens has been their soft schedule.  The only decent teams they faced this season were the Stuttgart Surge and the Raiders Tirol.  However, with a dominant 30-3 victory over the Raiders in their last game of the season, they look like they are ready for steep competition in the playoffs.

Munich is quarterbacked by Chad Jeffries, who ranked third in the league in passing yards in his second season with the team.  The running back is Justin Rodney, who came on strong late in the season, including a 163 yard performance last week against the Raiders.  They also have a pair of strong wideouts in Malik Stanley and Marvin Rutsch, as well as Tomiwa Oyewo, who is a threat at either running back and receiver.  On defense, Munich lacks any true standout but is a well-rounded unit at all levels.

Not only is this the first playoff game for both Munich and Paris, but it is also the first matchup between the two sides in their histories.  Paris has won four games in a row while Munich is on a seven game winning streak, albeit mostly against weaker opponents.  The Musketeers will be favored in this one at home, but Munich is certainly capable of putting up a fight.