ELF: Raiders Tirol look to get back on track as they face off against Leipzig Kings

| American Football | 07/31/2022

Today, the Raiders Tirol will make the long journey up to Leipzig and take on the Kings as they search for a much-needed victory in this week 9 fixture in the European League of Football.

The Raiders currently sit at 4-3, one loss away from a .500 record. This is not fitting for a team that ranks top three in both offense and defense.

Two of those losses have come at the hands of their former Austrian Football League rivals, the Vienna Vikings, which has no doubt impacted the teams’ confidence.

If the season ended today the Raiders would be secured the fourth-place playoff spot. The form in which they entered it however would be suspect. While the team has swatted aside most opponents it has struggled to even compete with some of the higher ranked teams.

The game against the Kings today will be the Raiders opportunity to pick up momentum, reclaim some of the confidence lost against the Vikings and enter the second half of the season with the wind in their sails.

The Kings on the other hand have had a tumultuous year that has been defined by a mid-season quarterback change. Two weeks ago, the team announced the departure of Jordan Barlow and the signing of French national champion Conor Miller.

Despite the Kings loss two weeks ago to a red-hot Berlin Thunder, Miller played an outstanding game. He threw for 254 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. 

Miller’s ability to immediately click with his long, rangy receivers in Anthony Dable-Wolf and Seantavius Jones in his first week is a clear indicator of things to come. The trio will be a handful for even the most talented of secondaries.

Miller’s signing was also a sign that the Kings, despite their 2-5 record, have not given up on the season. They will be coming into this home game with nothing to lose. And with the fire power that the Kings possess, the Raiders should approach with caution.

Daniel Mackenzie is a Press Association graduate who works in journalism and communications in the third sector. Daniel began playing football for the London Warriors and Team Great Britain and has since played across Europe.