Five takeaways from Week 11 in the European League of Football

| American Football | 08/16/2023

The European League of Football (ELF) is back after a Week 10 bye and things are beginning to heat up as the playoffs rapidly approach. Amongst the winners and losers emerged five key takeaways from this late stage of the season, which we have highlighted below.

Innsbruck is a good place to play defense

The Helvetic Guards traveled to the Innsbruck to play the Raiders Tirol on Saturday in what was expected to be a blow out game for the home team. The game was, however, anything but that as we saw four fumbles collectively and both quarterbacks throw three interceptions each. The game ended with a sloppy 24–14 victory in favor of the Raiders as both sides played excellent defense.

Growing pains in Week 11 are not conducive to a championship ring

Raiders QB Joe Dolincheck Photo: @official.angel.photography

The first takeaway leads nicely into the second. When you fire the third best quarterback in the league (statistically), you better have a pretty good replacement. The Raiders aerial performance against the Guards did not show this.

Freshly arrived quarterback Joe Dolincheck went for 16-33, three interceptions and a lone touchdown against one of the worst teams in the ELF. This is not a reflection of Dolincheck who has won three NAIA National Championships and been voted National Player of the Year (NAIA) twice, but rather of a quarterback coming into, what some players describe as, an extremely complicated system three weeks before the end of the season. 

Growing pains this late in the season are not what you want. Dolincheck clearly has the ability to be highly successful. But if he can’t bring it together come playoff time, it won’t be him the fans point a finger at demanding answers. 

Who says big men can’t do cool things too?

It was late in the third quarter, and up 10–7 in the third quarter over the Vienna Vikings, the Wroclaw Panthers lined up for a run-of-the-mill second and 12. But as the boys in blue broke the huddle, quarterback Matthew Vitale called an audible and all the receivers dispersed so the Panthers were in empty.

But one of those receivers looked slightly out of place. A smidge bigger than the rest. That odd-man-out was none other than 6 ‘3, 330 pound, starting left tackle Otávio Amorim. But the show didn’t stop there. As the ball was snapped, something majestic happened. Amorim pivoted, put his hand in the ground and executed what many experts would describe as the perfect cartwheel.

The sheer magnificence of it all confused the Vikings’ defense and Vitale hit his man down the seam for a first down. We salute you Otávio Amorim.

Theoretically, the Munich Ravens can make the playoffs

For a first-year team to be in the same conference as both the Raiders and the Surge and have a chance of making the playoffs is an achievement. And this is what the Munich Ravens have done.

Quarterback Chad Jeffries has blossomed into one of the best in Europe since joining the ELF and has been backed up by a team that seems to only be getting better week in, week out.

Next up for the Ravens is the Fire. Munich dominated much of this game first time around but fell apart in the second half. They have been a different team since that first meeting however and if they can get one over on Rhein, they will surely be within striking distance of a playoff spot.

Slade ‘the Blade’ Jarman

@daviddermerpix

Berlin Thunder’s left handed quarterback Slade Jarman has played significantly fewer games than most other passers in the league, yet he is alarmingly high in the stats table. In just five games he has thrown for 1,578 yards, 18 touchdowns and just five interceptions. 10.7% of his completions are touchdowns, second only to Jadrian Clark.

This is exactly what Berlin’s front office envisioned when they put together one of the best receiving corps in the league. What’s even better if you’re a Berlin fan is that they’re heating up just before the postseason. They have a string of very winnable games in front of them and a playoff spot within reach.

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.