LIVESTREAM: Austrian Wild Card – Projekt Spielberg Graz Giants @Danube Dragons, Sat. July 6, 4p CEDT (10a EDT)

AFI | American Football | 07/06/2019

Graphic: Igor Lazarevic

The Projekt Spielberg Graz Giants (5-5) take on the 6-4 Danube Dragons in the first of two wild card games this weekend as the Austrian Football League heads into the post season.

This game could be a nail biter. Although Danube defeated the Giants both times they played each other, both games were close. The Dragons won the first on 12-10 and the second one 21-14. Danube enters the game after losing their final two regular season games. They dropped a 27-21 decision to the Vikings and then lost a close game, 34-31, to the Black Panthers. Meanwhile, Graz pushed the Raiders in the second last game of the year losing by a score of 37-30, and then demolished the Amstetten Thunder 42-10.

This game pits the second leading offense in the league in the Giants who averaged 33.5 points a game, against the second-best defense in Danube. The Dragons gave up an average of 18.7 points a game.

Both teams have excellent quarterbacks. Giants quarterback Jake Kennedy finished second in passing with 2,360 yards and a league-best 34 TDs. Chad Jeffries of the Dragons wound up fifth in the passing yardage ranks throwing for 2,233 yards and 24 touchdowns. Philipp Sommer of the Giants was the second leading receiver and finished with 855 yards while Dragons WR Phillipp Haun was 5th with 749 yards and 10 TDs. Jeffries was the leading rusher for Danube with 586 yards rushing while Alexander Sans led Graz with 765 yards and six touchdowns.

Defensively for Danube, linebacker Florian Albrecht is a key. He led the team with 40.5 tackles. The Giants feature the league’s leading tackler in Thomas Schnurrer who finished the year with 71.5 tackles.

In the two games between the two. Kennedy completed 30 of 63 passes for 376 yards and two touchdowns but was picked off four times. Jeffries thew for 282 yards and zero touchdowns on 22 of 46 passing and zero interceptions. Kennedy rushed for 91 yards total while Jeffries ran for 104 yards.

These two teams are as evenly matched as they come. This game is a toss up.

)It seems that the livestream has been geo-blocked outside of Austria.)