The unbeaten Dresden Monarchs (4-0), Europe #8, head into Berlin’s Mommsen Satdion to face the 3-1 Berlin Rebels, Europe #13, as the German Football League winds up the first third of the 2018 season.
These two teams, who are two and three in the GFL North standings, faced each other twice in 2017 with Dresden coming out on top both times, 45-20 and 45-38. In fact, in the 12 games the Rebels have played Dresden since Berlin entered the GFL in 2012, they have not won once. The closest Berlin has come was a 21-21 tie in 2016.
The Monarchs enter the game with the highest scoring offense in Germany averaging 46.2 points a game, but they have been giving up 21.2. Berlin, meanwhile, has struggled at times offensively. scoring 92 points in four games but is among the top four in terms of defense surrendering an average of only 13.5.
Berlin running back Sean Richard has opened the season with good numbers and is the reason the Rebels are one of the top rushing teams in the league. He is second in the GFL with 406 yards rushing with five touchdowns. He has also caught 10 passes for 153 yards and another touchdown. In other words, he has accounted for more than a third of the Rebels scoring. Quarterback Terrell Robinson has thrown for 570 yards and rushed for 199.
The Monarchs rely on the arm of Trenton Norvell who has thrown for 1,227 yards and 16 touchdowns but he has seven interceptions. Running back Yazan Nasser leads his team with 135 yards rushing while British running back Glenn Toonga is right behind with 132. The Monarchs receiving corps is led by Mitchell Paige who also leads the league with 547 yards receiving, averaging 137 yards per game.
Two of Dresden’s wins have come against the Potsdam Royals while the Rebels only loss was to the Royals.
This will be a game between the hard-nosed Berlin defense and the high-flying Monarchs offense.
