The fourth place Telfs Patriots (6-4) and first place Danube Dragons (10-0) will face one another Saturday in the second semifinal matchup in the Austrian Football League for a chance to move onto the 2022 Austrian Bowl
Danube is coming off a dominant season where they went a perfect 10-0. Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Telfs ended the regular season 6-4. The Patriots just squeezed into the postseason after a 19-14 victory over the Znojmo Knights in Week 10.
Going into the game, Danube is the clear favorite. They have the second-best scoring offense in the AFL, averaging 35.5 points a game. The leader of the offense is, of course, quarterback Chad Jeffries. Jeffries threw for 2,522 yards this year along with having the second-best QBR in the league at 137.4. Jeffries’ favorite target is Cameron Lewis. In only seven games, Lewis racked up 612 yards along with eight touchdowns. Along with those two cornerstones, the Dragons recently signed Silas Nacita, one of the most versatile offensive players to appear in Europe in the past decade. Nacita, who played for both the Firenze Guelfi in Italy and Germany’s Marburg Mercenaries and Frankfurt Universe, is a do it all offensive player who is deadly in both the ground game and through the air. Danube is hoping his signing will be the finishing touch on a championship season.
In addition to the juggernaut of an offense, the Dragons also have the #1 total defense in the league, only allowing 244 yards a game. And in addition to that… they have the #2 scoring defense allowing just 17.2 points a game. With a defense as strong as this one, you’d assume some superstar is leading it. However, that’s not the case. The Dragon defense is a perfect example of playing ball. Not one player eclipsed 34 tackles, yet they are still a top defense.
The Patriots who are playing in Austria’s top league for the first time ever, enter this game with nothing to lose. They have already surpassed expectations and in fact have shown that they’re better than their record. The squad comes into Saturday’s bout with the second-best passing attack in the league. Star quarterback Aaron Ellis threw for 2,635 yards and 31 touchdowns. His favorite target was wide receiver Ravon Johnson who hauled in 72 passes for 1,167 yards this year along with a league-leading 12 touchdowns.
On the defensive side, the Patriots have one of the top players in the league in Hugo Dyrendahl. Dyrendahl ended the year with a league-leading 68.5 tackles along with two interceptions and two sacks. Aside from Dyrendahl however, their defense is lacking compared to the rest of the postseason teams. Their overall defense ranks just sixth in the league.
The key to this matchup for Telfs is getting their ground game going. As a team, the Patriots averaged just 63.2 yards a game on the ground, second to last in the AFI. They will need to improve on this to have any chance against the number one team in the league.
Still, the battle between these two should be a good one. In the only matchup between the two this season, Danube escaped with a four-point win, 28-24.
LIVESTREAM AUSTRIA Semifinals: Telfs Patriots @ Danube Dragons, July 15, 16:00 CET (4 pm, 10 am ET)(The game may be geoblocked by ORF in Austria)