This was arguably the best week of the season for the European League of Football, with games coming down to the wire, upsets, rivalry games and new players who will feature on the Top Performances of the Week we were spoiled. Let’s not beat around the bush too much and get straight into the football.
Jean Constant – Milano Seamen
The joint most catches in league history for a single game with 15, as well as the most targets in a single game for a WR with an absurd 25. Both teams went all out with the passing game in the Milano vs Galaxy game and Constant’s 238 yards (seventh all-time) was a testament to that. In addition, he had a touchdown that further cemented him in this list and overall, into the history books as this was his third team that he has had a game of over 150 yards. Although they lost the game Constant was certainly a standout.
Nico Strahmann #19 – Frankfurt Galaxy
175 YARDS AND 4 TOUCHDOWNS 🤯 pic.twitter.com/RgRcXBcMO0
— European League of Football (@ELF_Official) July 8, 2023
In the same game, we had another standout at receiver. Strahmann also equals a league record but this time it was for single-game touchdowns with 4 receiving on the day. Combined with his 175 yards this is another undisputed performance that will stand in the history books for a while. It’s not a common occurrence to see two records tied by different players on different teams in the same game. The 114 pass attempts by both teams combined were certainly a perfect storm for this to transpire, the 59 and 55 attempts by the quarterbacks respectively are 1st and T3rd all time.
Slade Jarman – Berlin Thunder
Jarman’s streak continues, he had the advantage of being able to continue his form on the Enthroners as they continue to slide into 0-6 and are looking worse than the Istanbul Rams of old. Six more touchdowns on efficient numbers for a comfortable win, not much else to say given the comfortable nature of that game. He is looking poised behind a solid line and has used the weapons around him better than Isom had done previously, and Aaron Jackson is reaping most of those benefits.
Kyle Kitchens – Berlin Thunder
Every. Single. Week.
⁰📸 Original photo: Eric Mühle⁰⁰#feelthethunder #ENTatBTH #ELF23 #ranelf #berlin #berlinthunder #europeanleagueoffootball pic.twitter.com/WO5IvZaTJ6— Berlin Thunder (@BER_Thunder) July 11, 2023
Another signature performance in Kitchens’ portfolio and a big boost in his three-peating challenge for DPOTY. Two sacks, three TFLs and an 83-yard fumble recovery touchdown. That makes both the games against the Hungarian team that Kitchens has dominated. That game also pushes him closer to his season record, the single-season record for the ELF is 16 by Kitchens and given all the time he has left it’s absolutely in the realm of possibility that we will see the first-ever 20-sack season.
The Hamburg Sea Devils Running Game
There are many cogs in the machine that have to be perfect for a team to achieve 292 rushing yards in a single game. Naturally, the offensive line has to be almost perfect to achieve this level of dominance and the Sea Devils do have one of the better units. Being fifth in both pass and run offenses respectively.
Secondly, the multiple carriers of the ball, as running back Jakob Michaelsen went for 75 yards and a touchdown and Simon Homadi for 120 while the quarterback, Preston Haire even got involved with 98 yards and a touchdown. This was the catalyst for their win in the Wroclaw-Hamburg rivalry and possibly has big playoff implications for the future.
Glen Toonga – Rhein Fire
Glen is playing and Glen is back to dominating on the ground. 186 yards and 2 scores for the reigning rushing title holder and it is fair to say he has a chip on his shoulder for the remainder of the year. His contribution to the offence was extremely important as the Fire and Ravens had a surprisingly close game until the very end. He led the league this week and it is very expected that he will continue his form behind that offensive line and the momentum from the last few weeks.
Honorable Mentions:
Florian Larose, WR – Paris Musketeers – 136 yards on 10 catches and a touchdown
Majan Jelvani, LB – Stuttgart Surge – 12 tackles, 2 sacks and 0.5 TFL
Jordan Bouah, WR – Vienna Vikings – 130 KR yards, 55 receiving yards and a touchdown
Hamburg Sea Devils D-Line – 6 sacks
Maceo Beard, CB – Helvetic Guards – 2 interceptions and 7 tackles
Markell Castle, WR – Munich Ravens – 140 yards and 2 touchdowns