The Paderborn Dolphins (2-5) will play host to the Berlin Rebels (2-6) as the German Football League winds up its 11th weekend of action.
This is the first meeting between these two teams this year. They split the series in 2023 with Paderborn taking the first game 16-8 and the Rebels the second, 35-7.
Paderborn opened the season with a loss, dropping a 38-7 decision to the powerful Dresden Monarchs. They then won two in a row surprising the New Yorker Lions 10-7 and then edging the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes 21-19. However, they fell to the Hildesheim Invaders 50-31 before losing to the Berlin Adler 44-33. They were dropped 35-7 by the Lions and then lost 21-7 to GFL South rival the Straubing Spiders, 21-7.
The Rebels had opened the season with a thrilling come from behind 39-38 win over the Saarland Hurricanes but were brought down to earth by the Hildesheim Invaders who beat them 36-19 in Game #2. They then beat the Kirchdorf Wildcats 33-17 before being downed by crosstown rivals the Berlin Adler 27-18 and then the Royals 74-20. They suffered a 56-24 loss to the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes before the debacle with the Royals. Then last weekend, the Lions beat them 28-14.
In other words, the Dolphins have lost their last four games and the Rebels their last five.
For Paderborn, Zachary Whitehead has completed 136 of 203 passes for 1,451 yards and eight touchdowns and three of his main targets have been Joshua Breece, Clemens Schuldt and Louis Waldmann who have 256, 351 and 229 yards receiving respectively in the seven games. Breece has rushed for 491 yards on 90 carries and scored four touchdowns.
The story for the Rebels season has been their starting quarterback Tyquel Fields. In his first season, he has thrown for 1,264 yards and seven touchdowns in eight games but has tossed 10 interceptions as well. However, he is the eighth leading rusher in the league with 89 carries for 508 yards and nine scores. His leading target in the air is Austin Osborne with 49 catches for 738 yards and four touchdowns which places him third overall in the GFL.
As neither team has a realistic chance of making the playoffs, this game will be a battle.